Yesterday & Today
by soo da nyaaa
Summary: Edith's new to the region, but not to Pokemon. Masquerading under a fake name, she takes the Hoenn challenge. Chapter 14: The Lavaridge Gym!
1. Chapter 1

Trying out a pokefic that I've been thinking about for some time now. I don't want to give away too much background on my mysterious protagonist or plot twists, but I approached this as a gamer seeing the different game generations as a continuous series and tried to work my personal interpretations into the events of the game. Also, it always seems to me that if you're going to have bad guys who hold up radio towers or mercilessly cut off Slowpoke tails or steal Devon goods, they should be slightly more hardcore, so I tried to work on that as well.

So, please enjoy! I own no part of Pokemon (aside from merch), but I will mess with it anyway!

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 1

The truck rumbled to a halt. A girl dozing in the back corner shook herself awake and stretched cramped arms and legs. Her mother was opening the back door as she made he way to the back of the truck, yawning lazily. Jumping down next her mother, she more securely tied the bandana reining in her very long brown hair and pulled on a sweatshirt.

"It's chillier here than in Kanto, huh?" she said to her mother, who smiled in response.

"It is," she agreed. "I hope there's somewhere nice to get some warmer clothes." Grabbing a cardboard box out of the truck, she added, "Why don't you go upstairs and check out your room?" The girl grinned and jogged towards the house, bringing a well-worn backpack with her.

Inside, pokemon she recognized from her father's work as Vigoroth were placing the family's belongings in the living room. She passed them carefully, then climbed the staircase. Upstairs, she discovered her own room was already filled with boxes, which she immediately set about unpacking. After a few minutes she gave up, having safely installed her most important possessions in their place in the room. Aside from making the bed, she had hooked up her computer and various video game equipment and set out some of her favorite photos. One in particular caught her attention, a picture of a young girl holding up a rather large trophy, and she gazed at it for a long moment before being overcome with restlessness. She checked the contents of her backpack, rifling through sensible traveling clothes: underwear and socks, a few shirts, light yet durable shorts, and one outfit of warmer wear. Next came her mess kit, a first aid kit, toiletries, and sleeping gear. Everything was in perfect order. Checking the PC, she decided to withdraw only a few potions from the extensive inventory.

"After all, I'm starting over," she grinned at her reflection in the mirror, feeling energized and eager for adventure. An athletic, if not somewhat short, friendly-looking girl smiled back, dark eyes twinkling. Double-checking her gloves and shoes for wear, she deemed them ready for the road and headed downstairs, slapping her pocket to confirm that she had her lucky charm as she stepped out of her room.

The girl's mother saw her from where she was helping the movers in the kitchen and came over. "Heading out already, my dear?" she said, not unkindly. "I just saw an interview with Dad on TV, so hopefully you can see him soon," she added cheerfully.

"Awesome! I really can't wait anymore to get going," the girl replied. "If I don't keep working, I'll become an unfit trainer."

"Of course, dear. You've wowed 'em twice before, and I know you'll do it again." Her expression sobered as she watched her daughter. "Have you chosen a new moniker for yourself?"

"I decided on 'Edith'. It has kind of a neat meaning, and what's more, it can be shortened to Edie, and that sounds pretty cool, right?" Her mom laughed.

"Ok, Edie." She kissed her daughter's cheek and waved to her from the front door, quite used to seeing her daughter off on adventures.

ooooo

In the cooling afternoon air, Edith extracted a tiny slip of paper from her backpack and squinted in the sun at Professor Oak's scrawl.

"Professor Birch, Littleroot Town, 231 Sapling Way," she murmured to herself. Glancing around, she quickly picked up on a large building rising above the houses. "Well, if that don't look suspiciously like a research facility…"

The sterile air inside immediately brought back memories of the two other labs Edith had been in during her long pokemon career, and the comfortable silence associated with the lab assistants hard at work fueled her growing excitement for adventure. A white-coated assistant noticed her standing in the doorway and stepped over.

"Are you looking for Professor Birch?" he inquired politely. Edith nodded, mildly pleased by his accent. "I am sorry to tell you, but he is out researching right now. He rarely leaves us specific plans, but his outings can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. However, we can take your name and phone number and alert you when he returns if you like…"

Edith's face fell, disappointed at the prospect of waiting. The assistant smiled knowingly.

"Are you interested in getting your first Pokemon?" he asked kindly.

Edith hesitated. "Well, not exactly." She abruptly became aware of her distinctly not 10-year-old appearance. "You know what," she hedged, "I'll come back later."

Back outside, Edith stalked impatiently among the houses, fervently planning her next move. As she approached her own home, she noticed one of her neighbors chatting with her mother.

"Oh, Edie!" her mother waved her over. "This is Mrs. Birch! She said she has a son around your age!" Edith immediately perked up at this new lead and shook hands with Mrs. Birch, a sedate and matronly-looking woman.

"You're probably looking for my husband, but he's gone out exploring again. If you'd like, you can head next door and meet my son Brendan to keep yourself entertained." Edith thanked Mrs. Birch and gingerly let herself in to the house next door.

"Hello!" immediately chirped a tiny girl inside. Edith jumped, startled, and looked around sheepishly.

"Uh…hi…I saw your mom outside and she told me to let myself in."

The girl bounded over and extended a pudgy hand. "I'm May! Pleased to meet you!" she squeaked.

"I'm Edie. How do you do, May?" Edith responded. May smiled toothily, and Edith noticed that she was missing several.

"Do you want Daddy to give you a pokemon? I'm only 8, but when I turn 10 Daddy's gonna give me a pokemon. My brother is 16 and he has a pokemon but he doesn't want to go exploring yet because he likes helping Daddy. What does your daddy do?" May finally paused for a breath, and Edith jumped in.

"Actually, my dad is a gym leader in another city." Before May could respond, Edith added, "Could you tell me where your brother is now?" May pointed directly above her head.

"He's upstairs in his room! You can go see him! BRENDAN!" May shouted. "My new friend Edie is coming to see you!"

Edith smiled and thanked May before hastily heading upstairs. Brendan was standing expectantly in his doorway with a half-smile on his face. This widened into a friendly grin when he saw Edith.

"Hey, neighbor. No doubt you're looking for my dad." He paused, looking more closely at Edith. "Are you…gonna get your first pokemon?"

"Well, no…I kind of just want to talk to your dad." She scratched her head uncomfortably. "So, this is your room?" she asked, ungracefully changing the subject.

"Yea, yea. It's kind of messy…" Brendan stepped with her into his room, halfheartedly trying to organize some of the stacks of pokemon research journals and textbooks on his desk. Edith noticed similarly unruly piles on his bed and floor, and a pokeball half-covered by laundry.

"Is that yours?" she asked, fishing it out and gently holding it out to him. Brendan stepped closer and took it from her thoughtfully.

"It's mine. I haven't trained it at all because I've been helping my dad with his research. It mostly plays with May…"

"That's really great that you help your dad out. I bet he really appreciates the sacrifice you make to help him," Edith offered, seeing Brendan's troubled look and trying to cheer him up.

He smiled gratefully at her. "I'm learning everything here that I would on my own pokemon journey, except I'm not getting any battle experience." Edith nodded. "I guess that means I'll be really prepared when I do go out in the world, huh?" They smiled at each other for a quiet moment, and Edith noticed absently that Brendan had lovely eyes. She discreetly tried to look him over more carefully: he was taller, but stockier than her, with unruly hair tucked into a spiky white hat and intense crimson eyes. Meanwhile, Brendan was doing the same.

When the silence stretched too long, they both cleared their throats and made a show of being otherwise occupied. Edith stood from her perch on a desk chair and headed downstairs towards the door.

"It was great meeting you, Brendan," she began awkwardly. "I think I'll go help my mom unpack some more now. I hope to see you again." Brendan smiled and gave a cute little wave before shutting the door. May came up behind him.

"She's cute! Are you going to marry her?" She said without ceremony.

Brendan flushed. "I just met her, May. I think it will have to be a little while before anyone thinks of that." He coughed uncomfortably and retreated to his room.

Outside, Edith saw that her mother was still chatting with Mrs. Birch and decided to take a walk. She left the small town fairly quickly and ambled along the path that connected it with a neighboring town. Despite being in an area densely populated by wild pokemon, she felt no need to have either pokemon or pokeballs with her on the walk. Due to her extensive experience, she felt comfortable dealing with all manner of creatures one-on-one and was eager to discover new pokemon in this region. Her musings, however, were interrupted by a shout nearby.

Pushing carefully through the brush, Edith soon came upon a vaguely familiar, extremely red-faced man being attacked by a striped, mammalian pokemon. He saw her immediately and gestured wildly at her. "You over there! Please help!" he gasped, trying to fend off the pokemon by waving his coat. "Get a pokeball!"

Edith couldn't help but gape for a moment; the pokemon seemed to just be scrabbling energetically at the man's pant leg, and he in turn was making all manner of noises in an attempt to scare it while trying to shake it off his leg. After a moment she located the pokeballs in his bag, but he had three. Were they all the same? What level were they? Would they listen to an unknown trainer? Hoping she had chosen an appropriate pokemon for the job, Edith let the pokeball fly.

The telltale flash of light was followed by the cry of the unknown pokemon Edith had released. Seeing it's distinctly water-like attributes and remembering the other two pokeballs in the bag, she finally gathered that this must be one of the region's starter pokemon, and the man, Professor Birch.

She hardly thought before saying, "Use tackle! Try to get um…that pokemon over there away from Professor Birch!"

The pokemon she had released looked back at her and seemed to recognize her status as a trainer. It then looked at Professor Birch, wiggled its backside a little in preparation, and launched itself headfirst into the side of Birch's assailant. Both pokemon tumbled away from him, and he took the opportunity to run to Edith's side. The wild pokemon, deeming this particular quarry decidedly more menacing than initially thought, scurried into the underbrush. The pokemon Edith had released looked expectantly at her, as if asking for confirmation that it had done the correct thing.

She clapped in response. "Good job!" The pokemon practically wriggled with delight at the compliment

"Thanks, Mudkip," Professor Birch dusted himself off and scooped up the pokemon, who chirped and squirmed happily in his grasp. "Thanks…" he began, looking gratefully at Edith.

"It's Edie," she supplied. Suddenly, Mudkip began to nose at Professor Birch's pocket.

"Oh, what are you doing?" Birch withdrew a slightly crushed berry from his front pocket. "Well, no wonder that Zigzagoon was pestering me! I should really pay attention to what sort of things I carry around with me…" He held the berry up so Mudkip could nibble on it.

"Are you Professor Birch?" He nodded, and together they gathered up his scattered belongings and started back for his lab.

"Are you interested in getting into the world of pokemon?" he asked conversationally.

"Well," she replied, "it's kind of a long story. My family just moved here from Kanto, so I already have a bit of history with pokemon. Actually, my father is a gym leader a few towns over. You've probably had some dealing with him during the application process."

Professor Birch chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I do know a new normal-type gym leader just started in Petalburg City. Very interesting gym set-up. Came from the fighting dojo in Saffron, and his daughter was…" His eyes widened as he looked at Edith. "If you're Norman's daughter, that makes you—"

"Right," Edith hastily cut him off. "I'd actually prefer that it remain a little-known fact. I'd really just like to start fresh here, like every other rookie."

Professor Birch nodded. "Though I can't guarantee that people won't recognize you. What you did…what happened…" he faltered briefly. "It's famous even here." The reached his lab and he held the door open for her. Inside he greeted various assistants before leading Edith to his office.

"You must be around 17 now, right?" he asked, taking the three pokeballs from his bag.

"Eighteen, actually," Edith replied.

"My son will be 17 next month," Birch mused. Edith immediately thought of Brendan and noticed that his father's eyes were a much less intriguing shade.

"We've met, actually," she murmured.

"Well," he announced after a moment, "it's rather unorthodox to give a starter pokemon to someone who has already completed a pokemon journey, but since this is a new region for you…and considering your _history_…I'd say why not."

Edith felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had been in one other similar situation before, but Professor Oak had been there to recommend her. She found herself mildly pleased that her reputation alone offered her such a favor.

"So, which pokemon would you prefer?" Professor Birch set up the pokeballs with the matching pokemon's stats and info.

Edith shook herself from her reverie. "Actually, I'd like to take the Mudkip I was using, if it's all the same to you."

"That's fine," Birch responded. "You know, of course, that you will have to start over as far as TMs and HMs are concerned. I'd also like you to limit yourself to level-appropriate items to make things fair."

"Of course," Edith replied. "I've gone through this process once before, and I'll be sure to advance in the same way as other trainers from this region." She and Professor Birch stood and shook hands.

"Listen…" Professor Birch started. "If you have a minute or two, would you mind seeing Brendan? I think sometimes he's embarrassed about starting out at his age, but maybe if you told him you were doing the same thing…I just don't want him to stay here with his old dad if there's something else he really wants to do." He sighed, voice heavy with worry for his son.

Edith smiled, trying to reassure him. "I'll definitely go talk to him. But you have to know that he does love working with you. Even if he wants to go traveling with his pokemon, he will miss you." She took Mudkip's pokeball off the desk. "I'll go see him now, before I head out."

Professor Birch walked her to the door and waved until she was out of sight. The clouds had retreated and the afternoon was heating up, so she removed her sweatshirt and packed it carefully, briefly wondering if its distinctive design would give her identity away to any particularly hard-core fans.

At the Birch house, she discovered that Brendan had gone out to Route 103. She resolved to either catch up with him there or somehow otherwise contact him, feeling more disappointed than she should have if she were just doing the professor a favor.

Eager to get on with her adventure, Edith immediately left the town for Route 101. Despite the delay this morning, she didn't intend to waste any more time getting started on her journey. Strolling through Route 101 and humming quietly to herself, she released Mudkip and gave him a friendly pat.

"Since we are going to be partners, I figure we should get to know each other, don't you?" she said cheerily, squatting down beside him. He ran around in a circle, chirping. Edith listened carefully, trying to catalogue the sounds for any sort of meaning. "Would you like a nickname?" Edith added. His response was the same cry repeated over and over, accompanied by more circling, making Edith laugh. "Alright then. What do you think of 'Wave'?" He stopped his circling and simply stared at Edith, who could have sworn he actually cocked an eyebrow. "Ok, 'Wave' is out. What about 'Marsh'?" A huff, followed by a snort. "Picky picky!" She paused, deep in thought. "Do you like 'Glade'?" Mudkip thought for a moment making what Edith could only interpret as a linguistic shrug. "Alright!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands. "A so-so nickname! Let's get this journey underway, then!"

They encountered relatively few wild pokemon, and even less people, but Glade was well-behaved—defeating every pokemon without fail (despite his only attack being tackle) and waiting patiently while Edith chatted with the people they met.

Shortly after they arrived in the next town, which was soon identified as Oldale. As was typical in regions that elected to sponsor a pokemon gym circuit, this town had no gym, but rather rudimentary elements necessary for trainers. Here, she rested her quickly blossoming Glade at the Pokemon Center, feeling suddenly very nostalgic at the hum of the automatic door sliding open, the well-worn couches lining the walls, and a nurse who looked eerily similar to all the other nurses that worked in Pokemon Centers. A very nice PokeMart employee showed her the local shop and gave her a potion, which she stored in her bag along with Awakening, Paralyze Heal, and Antidote. The cashier gave her a strange look when she asked for 20 Antidotes, but she simply paid him and left quickly.

When Edith tried to leave the town in the west, she discovered an extremely irritating scientist blocking the path in order to investigate some peculiar footprints. Frustrated, she headed to a grassy area north of town, determined to train Mudkip in the meantime.

After an hour of dirty, sweaty walking and rather constant pokemon battles, Edith discovered herself close by a tiny lake. She peered across the water at the distant bank on the other side, thinking wistfully of the HM that could get her there. She rinsed her face and hands in the water, and watched, amused, as Glade splashed in the shallows. As she usually did, she began to talk to the pokemon, paying careful attention to his different responses. Soon, she heard rustling in the brush around her followed by a thump too heavy for a baby pokemon. Whirling around, she called to Glade and fell into a defensive stance.

Brendan stood before her, looking bewildered. "Do you always react like this when you're startled?" he asked.

She immediately relaxed, feeling embarrassed. "A strange force of habit, I guess." At his questioning look, she elaborated, "I used to practice karate before moving here, so it's very natural to, uh…" Feeling uncomfortable, she cut off her explanation and decided to ask some of her own questions. "Never mind. What are you doing all the way out here, anyway? Not that it isn't nice to see you again," she added.

He flushed faintly before saying, "I decided to finally start my pokemon adventure, too. I got Treecko from home and headed out here to train."

Edith blinked. "You decided to come out here because I did?" Brendan's deepening blush gave her the answer. "Wow…" she muttered. "I'm kind of flattered!"

"Anyway!" Brendan almost shouted, eager to get the focus off of him. "Do you want to battle?"

Edith fell for the distraction and called Glade forward. "I'm not going to go easy on you!" Quietly to Glade, she added, "Keep using tackle on Treecko. This will be like all the other battles we've had. We can win this one slow and steady." Glade hummed an affirmative and scampered forward.

"Treecko, use pound!" Brendan began. Considering Treecko had the better speed and a type advantage, Edith would have to rely on Brendan using a non-attacking move and her stockpile of potions.

"You know what to do, Glade!" Edith cheered as Glade jumped straight at Treecko, tackling it into the dirt despite Treecko pounding on his back. Glade rolled off and away, circling before jumping in for another tackle. Treecko fixed Glade with a leer, but it was lost on the Mudkip as he tackled Treecko to the ground again. The two pokemon broke apart and faced each other, Treecko looking slightly worse for the wear.

"Use pound again, Treecko!" Brendan yelled, looking nervous. Treecko flung himself at Glade, fists swinging.

"Duck under and tackle him from behind!" Edith suggested abruptly, watching as Glade evaded Treecko's attack, skidding under the other pokemon and causing it to roll ungracefully away. Before Treecko could get up, Glade simply hopped right on top of him, pinning him to the ground. The already-weakened Treecko struggled half-heartedly for a few moments before collapsing under Glade's weight. Edith clapped, and Glade responding by hopping off of Treecko and trotting happily over to her. Brendan picked up Treecko, and, whispering words of encouragement, returned it to its pokeball.

"Great battle," she said genuinely, shaking Brendan's hand and taking her winnings. Fortunately, Brendan didn't seem disappointed in the least. He was about to reply when there came a strange ringing from his pocket. He extracted a slim cell-phone-shaped device, brushed off stray pocket lint, and flipped it open.

"Hey, Dad! I…oh, did Mom tell you? …Yeah…um well actually I'm with her now," he looked at Edith and smiled. "What? Oh yea, we can do that. Right. See you soon." Snapping the device shut, he turned to Edith. "That was my dad; he said he forgot to give you a Pokedex. If you don't have any more plans right now, do you want to walk back to Littleroot with me?" His face was pink again. Edith smiled and recalled Glade, who was playing in a patch of grass nearby, and they set off.

"So, you trained in a dojo when you were younger? Is that why you didn't take the Pokemon League challenge in Kanto?" Brendan asked as they neared Route 101.

"Yea," Edith lied, feeling bad but not wanting to explain too much. "I guess I was just more interested in that than in training, like you and your dad's research, right?" She countered in an attempt to throw the focus back on him.

"It is kind of the same," Brendan agreed. "Everything he does is so interesting, and he always appreciates my help. I guess I was afraid I would let him down if I left, you know?" Edith nodded encouragingly.

They passed a few minutes in silence, and Edith absentmindedly began to hum to herself.

"What song is that?" Brendan asked curiously. Edith looked embarrassed.

"It's not actually a real song. I have this weird habit where I make up little theme songs for places I go. So, like, Littleroot Town has a song, this route has a song, etcetera." Brendan chuckled.

"So, what does the theme song for this route sound like?" he asked. Edith began to hum it again, this time louder. After a moment Brendan began to provide drum back up, and they joked around for the rest of the walk.

Back at Professor Birch's lab, they found him watching a beaker spewing pink foam and furiously scribbling notes. When he noticed them, he left the beaker to an assistant and met them in his office.

"I'm sorry I forgot before, Edith, but you'll need a Hoenn Pokedex! You too, Brendan," he added. "Since they might take a little bit to get set up, could you go get that thing we talked about earlier, Brendan?" He looked directly at his son, who nodded and left. Now alone with Edith, Professor Birch leaned forward conspiratorially. "Do you have your old Pokedex with you?"

She extracted it from her worn backpack and handed it over to him. He scrolled through the entries, shaking his head with amazement.

"You've done a wonderful thing here, Edie," he said at last. "I'm going to install the current region's Pokedex info for you, but it will take about an hour, so feel free to go and come back." He was already beginning to fiddle with her Pokedex, so she gave a wave that was not returned and left the office.

Brendan was nowhere to be seen in the lab or outside, so Edith headed to her house to give her mom an update. Her mother was happy to see her.

"I'm glad you came back! I forgot to tell you that I got you new running shoes, so here they are!"

Edith slipped on the shoes, appreciative of her mother's thoughtfulness. "They're really nice, Mom," she said at last.

"I had them specially made for you in Celadon. They actually arrived here a few days before we did!" Edith smiled, touched by the gesture. After updating her mom on the pokemon situation and introducing her to Glade, Edith returned to Professor Birch's lab.

Brendan was already there, holding his new Pokedex. Edith's was somewhat less shiny and more battered, a detail that did not escape him. She ignored his questioning gaze and thanked Professor Birch.

"Did you get what I asked, Brendan?" Birch asked. When Brendan nodded, Birch bid them both good luck and reminded them to call should they need anything.

Outside, Brendan paused at his house. Edith stopped with him, enjoying the fading light play across his handsome features. "I, um…got something for you from my dad," he stammered, holding out a small parcel.

Edith took it and carefully unwrapped it, delighted to discover 5 pokeballs. "Wow, Brendan, thank you! That's just what I need to get started on my team." She looked gratefully at him. "Are you heading out tonight?"

"Actually, I'm afraid we won't learn as much if we travel together, so I'm going to leave tomorrow morning. I hope we come across each other soon, though," he added with a boyish grin.

"I would really like that," Edith said seriously. After a long look, she waved and headed for Route 101, determined to reach Oldale's Pokemon Center by nightfall and eager to catch some pokemon to fill up her Pokedex.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Pokemon!

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 2

Edith spent the night at the Pokemon Center. She woke on a cot in one of the large trainer rooms, surrounded by sleeping preteens and their pokemon. Having woken up fairly early, she washed in the nearly empty bathroom and got a small breakfast from a sleepy-eyed kitchen attendant. She sat with Glade in the dining hall, eating the simple toast and berry slices and watching drowsy trainers trickle in. They left shortly after, before the dining hall was even close to full, and headed to Route 102, which Edith was grateful to discover was no longer blocked. The scientist from before was gathering his materials nearby.

"I finished sketching the footprints of a rare pokemon. But it turns out they were only my own footprints…" Edith stared at him, incredulous, before walking away as fast as she could, unable to speak for fear of screaming his ear off.

Further into Route 102 she stopped and released Glade, then crouched down by him. "Since we trained a lot in the wild yesterday, I'm hoping we can find some trainer battles today. That way you can practice battling with trained pokemon!" Glade made a happy little cry. "Also, since you have been getting stronger, I was thinking we could try catching some other pokemon today. What do you think?" Glade responded with a cheerful little gurgle that, for a split second, was completely comprehensible to Edith. She tried to think of it again, to recall the feeling, the _meaning_ of what Glade had said, but it was already gone.

They strolled deeper into Route 102, rather disappointed by the distinct lack of both wild pokemon and trainer battles. Edith spied some longer grass not too far ahead, and said as much to Glade, who took off eagerly. She followed, laughing, but was surprised when a hand suddenly shot out in front of her face, causing her to jerk to a halt. She followed the hand down an arm, which connected it to a young, determined-looking boy.

"If you have pokemon with you, then you're an official pokemon trainer! You can't say no to my challenge!" he told Edith, practically shouting.

"A trainer battle!" Edith cried to Glade, only slightly put off by the boy's overenthusiastic behavior. "Let's go!" Glade scampered back from the edge of the grass where he had been sniffing around for interesting pokemon scents.

"A Mudkip, eh?" the trainer said disdainfully. "Go, Poochyena!" The dark canine-like pokemon appeared and snarled menacingly at Glade, who barked cutely in response. "Poochyena, use howl!" the trainer began. The Poochyena howled eerily, looking pumped up.

"Use growl! Then try to tackle it!" Edith suggested. Glade growled impressively, surprising considering his cute demeanor. The Poochyena faltered, giving Glade the opportunity to tackle it to the ground. Then both pokemon were up and circling each other.

"Use howl again, Poochyena! Then knock it out with tackle!" the trainer instructed, still confident.

Edith realized what the trainer wanted to do and changed tactics. "Glade, use mudslap!" Glade ran to a sandy patch near the Poochyena and spun his tail in the dirt. At the top of his spin he used his tail as a blade to flick the sand towards the Poochyena, and combined this with water sprayed from his mouth. The flying mud splashed in the Poochyena's face, interrupting its howl.

Coughing, the Poochyena launched itself in a tackle towards Glade, but the mud obscured its vision enough that Glade simply sidestepped the attack.

"Now, Glade, use tackle again!" Glade barreled into the Poochyena, who stayed down when Glade retreated. Edith cheered and gave Glade a good head-scratching.

"Listen, you. If you're strong, you should have told me before!" the trainer whined, handing Edith some pocket money. She simply grinned and moved on with Glade.

An hour and a half later, they had encountered three more trainers and a slew of wild pokemon. Her Pokedex had also expanded to include a Poochyena, a curious water/grass type called Lotad, and a very cute bug-type Wurmple. At some point Edith came across a few berry trees and took that as a cue to prepare a snack. While she and the pokemon were eating, she got the distinct feeling that something was prowling in the grass around them. There was a flash, a pair of eyes, and a rustle, and then Poochyena started barking. Before she could say anything, Poochyena bounded into the grass in hot pursuit of their stalker. Several seconds later, he flushed a Zigzagoon into their clearing, who, despite being chased by a slightly evil-looking dog, approached the plate of berry slices and started eating.

At this point Glade began to chatter excitedly, looking from the Zigzagoon to Edith. Feeling the tingle of understanding come and go again, she peered more closely at the Zigzagoon currently eating her snack.

"Hey!" she cried. "You're the Zigzagoon that was attacking Professor Birch earlier!" Unable to keep from laughing, she recalled Poochyena, who had been circling Zigzagoon warily, barking. The Zigzagoon hardly spared her a glance, still intent on finishing every last slice of berry. Quietly retrieving a pokeball from her bag, Edith thought to herself, 'I wonder if being entirely engrossed in eating counts as a status condition…?' She snuck up behind the Zigzagoon and tapped it with the pokeball. The Zigzagoon gave an annoyed cry as it was dragged away from the snack into the pokeball, but surprisingly didn't put up much of a fight. When the pokeball had stopped shaking, Edith released the Zigzagoon.

"Do you feel like traveling with us?" she asked, sitting next to the Zigzagoon. "It'll be fun, and you can have some more berries." The Zigzagoon seemed agreeable to this (it was, in fact, still eyeing the leftover berry slices). Edith handed it another slice, remarking, "The nickname 'Pecha' just seems so appropriate for you…"

They left the clearing soon after, and Edith could see the outskirts of town through the trees when Pecha once again went tearing off into the brush. She had let him remain outside of his pokeball after realizing that he would occasionally discover useful items lying in the grass and bring them to her, so she waited for him to come scampering back. Several minutes went by, so at last she picked her way carefully through the bushes, following his trail. There was a small yip, and she discovered Pecha standing guard over a curious humanoid pokemon. It was curled into a ball and appeared to be massaging a red appendage protruding from its green helmet-shaped hair. Edith knelt down beside the pokemon, digging through her pack for something that might help.

As she reached out to touch the pokemon, a painfully high-pitched scream resounded in her head, causing her to fall back and clutch her temples. She groaned, rolling on her side. "So you're a psychic type…" She was used to the slightly invasive sensation of a psychic voice speaking directly to her mind, but this one was wild and uncontrolled, and entirely too loud.

From her vantage point on the ground, Edith could see the pokemon's face, peeking at her through its arms. "I just wanna help you out," she said, trying to look convincing. "I can give you a Potion, if you think that will help, or I can take you to a Pokemon Center. I think it will make you feel better," she added. Pecha whined softly, nuzzling the pokemon's side. The pokemon regarded Edith for a long moment before scooting over and laying carefully next to her arm. Edith took out her sweatshirt and wrapped the pokemon in it before scooping up the whole bundle carefully and heading towards the Pokemon Center.

Edith was not disappointed at the Petalburg Pokemon Center—the nurse behind the counter looked exactly like the nurses that worked at every other Center. She very carefully accepted Edith's bundled pokemon.

"What seems to be the problem with your Ralts?" the nurse asked, gently unwrapping the sweatshirt.

"Ah, it's not mine. I think it has a really bad headache, though," Edith responded, making a mental note of the pokemon's name.

"Oh, that's quite common with baby Ralts when they start developing psychic powers," the nurse replied, placing the pokemon on a healing machine and lowering a glass dome over top. The Ralts seemed nervous, but didn't take its eyes off of Edith, who looked on with concern. The machine glowed a soft purple and made a sort of humming noise, and the Ralts immediately relaxed. Edith smiled with relief and waited for the nurse to return it to the counter. "If you don't mind…" the nurse said, very quickly checking the pokemon's heart rate, looking in its ears and throat and taking its temperature. "Yes, she's quite healthy!" the nurse concluded cheerfully. Edith turned over the rest of her pokemon for a rudimentary healing, and the group relocated outside.

"Ok, Ralts, do you feel better now?" Edith asked, smiling at the pokemon. Ralts nodded gratefully. "Well, is there anything else we can do? The route where you came from is just over that way, but we can walk you there if you'd like…" The Ralts, looking rather sheepish, didn't respond, but simply stood closer to Edith's leg. There came a hesitant sound in her mind, not screaming this time, just a quiet, pleasant music. Ralts was talking to her, but not using a language Edith could understand. "I don't suppose you're saying you want to come with us, are you?" Edith asked hopefully. The response came, an even quieter chime in her mind, and Ralts gingerly wrapped her arms around Edith's leg.

Edith took a pokeball from her bag and held it out towards Ralts, who was eagerly absorbed into it. Edith paused, then immediately released the Ralts. "I was thinking about a nickname…what do you think of 'Waltz'?" she asked curiously. Ralts tilted her head to the side, considering it. After a moment she nodded, and Edith could hear bells tinkling in her head. "Awesome," Edith replied. "In that case, let's keep moving!" She recalled Waltz, and was almost out of sight of the Pokemon Center when a rather harried-looking woman stopped her.

"Excuse me, have you seen Wally today?" she asked Edith, who looked nonplussed.

"Um, I'm not from around here and I don't know any Wally, sorry…" she began.

"Oh, of course, dear. Sorry. Wally's around your age, he's tall with brown hair, a bit wan…" she watched Edith's face for any signs of recognition.

"I'm sorry; I haven't seen him at all," Edith replied, at a loss.

"Well, thank you anyway," the woman said, mostly to herself. Walking away, she continued softly, "Where has our Wally gone? We have to leave for Verdanturf Town very soon…"

Edith continued on, having spied the telltale sign of a gym. She practically ran the remaining steps to the handsome outer doors, pushing them open to reveal…a room decidedly smaller than a view of the building from outside would suggest. Blinking in the dim light, she spied an attendant in the otherwise empty room.

"Excuse me, I'm here to see Norman?" she began. The attendant looked rather skeptical. "I'm his daughter…" she continued, rather annoyed with his suspicion. The attendant gave a lazy 'huff' and disappeared through a door in the back of the room. Some minutes later, the attendant returned, followed closely by Edith's father Norman.

"Hey, Edie," he greeted with a hug and a kiss. When she gave him a look at the use of the new name, he added, "Your mother called me last night to let me know what to expect." He glanced at the attendant, who disappeared again through the door.

Now alone, Norman explained his gym situation. "I've been asked to keep a team appropriate for a 5th level badge. Unfortunately, that means you'll have to travel quite a bit before challenging me."

Edith frowned, feeling her excitement evaporate. Her father saw this and smiled.

"Knowing you, you'll be back here in no time." He affectionately tugged a lock of her hair. More somberly, he continued, "I think it's very good that you're getting back on the Rapidash. You're an amazing trainer, and you should know that you're stronger than anything that has happened. You'll be as much a champion here as you were everywhere else." Edith moved out of his grasp, uncomfortable.

"I kind of don't want to talk about that, Dad," she muttered.

"Fair enough," he replied quietly, looking at her with concern.

After a moment there was a hesitant cough behind them. Norman smiled as he recognized the boy standing in the doorway.

"Ed, let me introduce you to Wally, one of my neighbors here. Wally, this is my daughter Edie." Edith and Wally shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Edie," Wally stammered, coughing a little. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving tomorrow," he told Norman. "But…um…I think I want to get a pokemon." He barreled on, not looking at either of them as if afraid they would turn him down. "I'm going to Verdanturf to stay with my relatives, but I don't want to be lonely. I want to catch a pokemon, but I don't know how." He paused to draw breath, coughing again. Norman patted his back heartily.

"I think getting a pokemon is a great idea. Edie's already a very accomplished trainer; I'm sure she wouldn't mind going with you and helping out a bit." To Edith, he said, "Go with Wally and make sure he gets a pokemon, okay?" Wally looked gratefully at them both. "I'll loan you one of mine," Norman added, handing Wally a pokeball. "It's a Zigzagoon, so it shouldn't be too hard to handle. Just please bring back it when you're done. I have a gym challenge soon, so I should prepare. Edie," he smiled at his daughter. "Best of luck, sweetie."

At that, Edith found herself heading back to Route 102 with Wally. "So, Wally, why are you moving to Verdanturf?" she ventured, hoping to spark some idle chatter.

"It's actually for my health," he replied. "I got sick a lot as a child and because of that have kind of fragile health now," he continued. "That's why my parents wouldn't let me take the Pokemon League challenge," he finished softly.

"That's rough," said Edith sincerely, feeling trapped and depressed at even the thought of never being able to interact with pokemon. She fell silent, then motioned for Wally to stop. They were still only at the edge of the route, but there was a faint rustling behind a nearby bush. Edith indicated for Wally to ready his pokeball and startle the wild pokemon. He did so, and Edith was pleased to see an angry Ralts jump out.

The Ralts immediately began to growl at the pair as Wally released the Zigzagoon. Edith grinned at Wally.

"You're in luck; Ralts is a psychic type, which can grow up to be very strong, and a Ralts of this level will only know how to growl at us. Try commanding Zigzagoon to do a few simple attacks."

Wally hesitantly called to Zigzagoon, "Use quick attack, Zigzagoon, please?" he faltered a bit and looked to Edith for advice.

"That's fine," Edith encouraged, as the Zigzagoon launched itself headfirst into the Ralts's belly, who in turn growled again and slapped Zigzagoon ineffectually. "But be confident! Pokemon respond better to trainers that act like they know what they're doing." She smiled at Wally, who blushed furiously and tried to focus back on Zigzagoon, who was circling the still-growling Ralts.

"Use quick attack again, Zigzagoon!" he said, watching intently as Zigzagoon did so The Ralts faltered. Wally glanced at Edith. "I throw a ball now, right?" When Edith nodded, he lobbed a pokeball towards the Ralts, hoping out loud that it would work. The Ralts was enveloped in an orb of light and sucked inside the pokeball. Several tense moments later, the pokeball firmly latched shut and stopped shaking, indicating a successful capture. Wally didn't move for a moment, simply staring, dumbfounded, at the pokeball in the grass. "I did it...it's my pokemon!" he said softly to himself.

Edith laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "You did great! With a little practice, you could be a great pokemon trainer too, you know!" She handed his Ralts to him. "This little guy can be the start of something great for you," she said seriously, smiling at him.

He smiled back and recalled Zigzagoon, then started out hesitantly, "Listen, you're probably pretty busy because of being a trainer and all, and I don't have a lot of time right now because I'm moving, but if you get a chance, maybe you could come visit me in Verdanturf. If it's not too much trouble," he added nervously.

Edith nodded emphatically. "When I get to Verdanturf, I'll be sure to look you up." She walked back with him to the gym. "Are you ok here? I think I may head onward while there's still light."

"Yea, I'm fine." He shook Edith's hand. "Thanks, Edie." She took her leave. Wally's gaze followed her until she was out of sight, a tiny smile playing across his features.

West of Petalburg, Edith added a Wingull to her Pokedex while hunting in the grass for wild battles. Waltz and Glade were leveling quite nicely, and Pecha was still discovering useful items in random places.

The farther west Edith walked, the more she became aware of the distinct smell of sea salt. At last, the unmistakable sound of waves crashing against a beach reached her ears. Feeling a wave of homesickness for Vermillion City, she followed the sound eagerly. Suddenly, the light cover of grass and weeds dissolved into sand, and she was abruptly sliding down a steep slope. Several seconds later she found herself unceremoniously dumped in a sandy heap, Glade's pokeball popping open, giving him ample opportunity to snicker. Edith glared and flicked some sand his way, which he nimbly avoided. A jogger passing by stopped.

"Excuse me, miss, are you okay?" He helped Edith to her feet. She laughed and thanked him. "Are you looking for Mr. Briney's house?" he asked after brief introductions were concluded.

"Um…who?" Edith responded.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that everyone who comes by here is always looking for Mr. Briney's house to ask him to give them a ride to Dewford or something."

"Why would they need a ride?" Edith asked, still not completely familiar with Hoenn's map.

"Well, because he has a boat and Dewford's an island…" the jogger replied, looking strangely at Edith.

"Oh, I see. I'm not from around here," Edith added by way of explanation. "Do you know if Dewford has a gym?"

"Yea," the jogger said fondly, going slightly misty-eyed. "Back when I took the Pokemon League challenge, I remember it being a really cool idea for a gym. I won't say anything more; don't wanna spoil it for you, but if you're a trainer that's the second gym on the circuit, so you're better off going on to Rustboro City first."

They chatted for a bit longer, and Edith got directions to various points of interest before they parted ways. She decided to drop by Mr. Briney's house, even if she wasn't ready to go to Dewford just yet, and set off up the beach. Feeling hopelessly sandy, she removed her shoes and socks and walked in the surf. Glade ran circles around her, occasionally spraying playful jets of water her way. She responded with splashes of her own, and they were soon in an all out water war. They took a break to battle a couple of trainers, then finally reached Mr. Briney's house.

The boat the jogger had described was moored to a tiny dock by the house, looking sleek and impressive bobbing gently in the waves. Edith approached the door and knocked, but when there was no answer to her knocks or her calls, she tried the door, which swung open at her slight push. Inside there was no one, just a comfortable, spacious room with spartan amenities and what appeared to be an enormous and elaborate bird's nest in the corner. She closed the door firmly and scrambled up the bank onto a grassy area north of the house. Continuing up the path, she came across a heavily wooded area, which she gathered from the people she encountered that this was the Petalburg Wood that linked Petalburg City to Rustboro. Not for the last time, Edith regretted not knowing more about the region she had come to.

_Then again_, she thought wryly, _that would take much of the fun out of exploring._

After several sweaty hours of hiking through the trees, interspersed by frequent battles, Edith stopped for a rest. The thick tree cover reduced the light significantly in the forest, but also kept in heat, creating an oppressive, muggy atmosphere. She set out water and snacks for her pokemon, mindful of wild pokemon that might be attracted by the thought of a free meal, then sat down for a rest.

The constant humming of bug pokemon in the forest lulled her into a doze, which was on the verge of deepening into slumber when there came a crackling in the nearby brush. Sitting up sleepily, Edith could make out the figure of a man, who looked thoughtful.

"Hmm…not a one to be found…" he said to himself. Noticing Edith, he waved and said cheerfully, "Hello, have you seen any pokemon called Shroomish around here? I really love that pokemon."

Edith stared, trying to ascertain whether or not she was still asleep. Before she had a chance to answer, a much louder, angrier man wearing a ridiculous striped shirt and sailor pants burst through the bushes, shouting obscenities at the man.

"What could you be doing in here, hanging around? You're supposed to come out of the woods so I can ambush you!" The researcher let out a shriek and ran to Edith's side.

"You're a trainer, right? Help me!" Edith looked from him to the other man, growing more and more convinced that she was in fact hallucinating.

The other man was not to be outdone. "What, you're going to protect him? No one who crosses Team Aqua gets any mercy, not even a kid!" He then released a Poochyena, which Glade challenged without having to be told. The man then threw himself at the scientist.

Edith leaped up, dragging the scientist with her. He cowered behind her most unhelpfully while she grabbed the assailant's thrown punch, easily twisting his hand into a painful hold that forced him to the ground. He grunted angrily, struggling despite the pain in his wrist.

"Now," Edith said, finally feeling in control of the situation. "What the hell is going on?" She looked at the scientist catching his breath next to her.

"He's trying to steal valuable Devon goods. I'm a researcher there; I was trying to deliver them." He glared at his pursuer.

Edith turned her demanding glare to the prostrate form before her. "Is that true? Why do you want to steal this stuff?"

The man spit contemptuously and resumed struggling. Edith had not relaxed her grip and responded by applying more pressure to his wrist. He hissed.

"Do you want me to break your arm?" she asked, annoyed. "If I press here," she did so carefully, "I break your wrist. A swing here," she tapped his elbow, "and I break your elbow. If I decide to put my weight on your arm, I'll break your shoulder. Just answer the question."

He grimaced. "I don't know why we need them. I'm just a grunt! The boss says 'jump', I say 'how high.'"

Edith frowned. This sounded a lot more involved than she had expected. "Who's 'we'?"

"Team Aqua," the man said through gritted teeth. Team Aqua certainly didn't sound like they were up to anything good. She increased the pressure on the man's wrist.

"Listen carefully." She glanced at the scientist. "I am going to let you up with all your bones intact, provided you immediately leave us and don't harass this guy any further. Keep in mind that I can put you in a similar situation or worse should you bother us again."

The man relaxed in her grip and grumbled an 'ok'. Edith cautiously released him, moving quickly out of his reach with the scientist in tow. The man stood and flexed his sore wrist and arm, then recalled his fainted Poochyena, muttering, "It's not like I can do anything now; I'm out of pokemon. Plus, we're after something else in Rustboro anyway." Edith recalled Glade and made careful notice of the man's uniform: a bandana with a stylized "A" and that awful sailor suit. When the man was completely out of sight, she and the scientist hurried on to Rustboro.

"Thank you so much for your help," the scientist began. "Thanks to you, he didn't take any of the goods. I'm really sorry you had to get involved…" Then, as an afterthought, he added, "I'm Brian, by the way."

"Edie," Edith replied, distracted. "What exactly are you transporting to Rustboro, anyway?" She gestured to the package Brian clutched to his chest.

"I'm not sure, actually," he answered sheepishly. "I just had to get it and bring it to Mr. Stone, the president of Devon, for his inspection. I guess it must be pretty important, though, huh?"

Edith made a face, absently touching the charm in her pocket. She didn't like this new organization known as Team Aqua, and she especially didn't like their dangerous interest in whatever Devon was doing.

By avoiding battles, she and Brian made short work of the rest of the forest and parted ways at the entrance, Brian insisting that it wasn't much farther to Rustboro.

Alone again, Edith took stock of her surroundings. Ahead of her appeared to be a large, extremely colorful building. Upon further inspection, she discovered flower trellises growing over the entire surface of the building. The roof was covered with non-climbing plants, including a few berry trees. An elaborately hand-painted sign announced the building as the "Pretty Petal Flower Shop", so she opened the flower-painted door with the flower-shaped handle, setting off the tinkling of some carved flower wind chimes.

Inside was no disappointment. The walls were painted with flower patterns, and the floor tiles were—yes—shaped like various kinds of flowers. Pots of flowers covered all available space on the many tables in the room, and still more were set in corners and any bits of floor space that could be spared. She was greeted by a woman who gave a very enthusiastic speech about planting berries and spreading flowers throughout the world to which she listened attentively before beating a hasty retreat. Another employee gave her a small watering can, which she carefully packed, and still another employee mentioned using berries to make treats for pokemon. This Edith decided to look into more later; things for her pokemon were always useful.

Back outside, she headed away from the woods and the flower shop and soon came upon a large lake. She struck out for the bridge she could see in the middle, defeating the trainers that she encountered on the path. Standing over the water on the bridge, Edith took a moment to allow the gentle sloshing of the lake to push the irritating encounter earlier from her mind. Relaxed and distracted, Brendan's face suddenly popped into her mind. She blushed, remembering how sweet he had been when they met, and their battle, and the walk back to the lab…Unfortunately, her girlish reverie was interrupted by two girls simultaneously tapping her on the arm.

"If you have 2 pokemon with you, let's have a double battle!" Edith blinked in surprise, afraid she was seeing double before realizing they were twins.

"A double battle? You mean use two pokemon each?"

"Yea! How can you not know about it? It's really popular right now. Go, Lotad and Shroomish!" Edith regarded the two pokemon for a moment before choosing her two.

"Well, let's give this a try, Waltz and Pecha!"

They materialized in front of her, looking eager for battle after the rest in the forest. Edith had purposely avoided using Glade to not only give him a break, but also protect him from the super-effective grass type attacks that Lotad and Shroomish were apt to use. Having battled a Shroomish in the wild, Edith recalled that they could cause status effects through direct physical contact.

"Try to avoid touching the Shroomish! Waltz, use Confusion on it until it faints. Pecha, focus on the Lotad. Start with a quick attack!"

The twins were issuing their orders as well. The Lotad used absorb on Waltz, causing her to hesitate briefly, and the Shroomish ran towards Pecha to tackle her. Fortunately, Pecha was using quick attack and managed to evade the attack while striking Lotad. Just as quickly, she was back by Waltz's side, who was concentrating very hard on the Shroomish. The Shroomish shook its head and geared up for another tackle, but had to sit back down, obviously confused. Pecha and the Lotad were now trading off, Pecha using quick attack and trying to avoid the absorbing seeds the Lotad shot her way. After a moment, the Shroomish clambered to its feet and tried to charge for Waltz. Unfortunately, it instead took a wobbly, meandering route to its companion Lotad, crashing into it and knocking them both out.

Edith cheered for her pokemon as she recalled them. The twins looked less than pleased, but handed her some pocket money and sent her on her way with a congratulations. Upon crossing the bridge, Edith could see the outskirts of Rustboro. By the time she entered the city, night had fallen and cheery lights poured out of every window. She dined with her pokemon at the Pokemon Center mess hall after healing them, then grabbed a quick shower and a cot in the corner of the expansive trainer room.

She released her pokemon, who wandered around in search of a comfortable place to sleep. Edith sank onto the thin mattress, feeling drained. She climbed into bed, but the encounter in Petalburg Woods weighed heavily on her mind, and she had trouble sleeping. The appearance of the Aqua grunt had recalled some difficult memories for Edith, ones she had preferred to leave behind. Distressed, she cuddled Glade to her chest and extracted the charm from her pocket. The pokemon tooth was dulled, but no less fierce, and glinted comfortingly in the dim light. She smoothed a hand over it, squeezing it for reassurance, and fell into a fitful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Pokemon is not mine.

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 3

Edith awoke late the next morning and was disappointed to see cheery morning sunlight streaming in through the blinds. She descended to the dining hall, which was full of trainers talking in near-deafening volumes. Grabbing enough food to feed her and her pokemon, she managed to find some space at the end of a table, where they ate quickly. Several trainers gave her strange looks, curious as to why someone so old was eating with the rookies. By the time she had gathered up her pokemon and cleared their dishes, there was a rumor circulating around the room about a mysterious gym leader visiting from another region and trying to blend in with other trainers.

The late-morning sun outside was fairly blinding as it reflected off the highly polished stones of most of the architecture. The paved and bricked streets didn't help either, pushing the temperature up and making everything look slightly shiny behind the intense heat waves. Edith inspected a town map displayed outside the Pokemon Center. Someone had mentioned getting Cut from someone in town, and she wanted to at least scope out the gym today, if not challenge it.

A short walk west of the Pokemon Center soon led her to a squat stone house. On the door hung a nicely painted sign labeling it as "Cutter's House." Edith was just about the knock when the door suddenly swung inward, revealing a grizzled old man. He smiled toothily and said, "That determined expression… the limber way you move… and your well-trained pokemon…you're obviously a skilled trainer!" Edith simply stared for a moment, then opened her mouth to formulate some sort of response, but the man cut her off with, "No, wait, don't say a word. I can tell just by looking at you. I'm sure that you can put this HM to use." From the folds of his coat he produced a familiar-looking disc and handed it to Edith, adding "No need to be modest or shy. Go on, take it!"

She took the disc and tried to thank the man, but was cut off by his lengthy explanation of how he came by it (he had used it himself to help clear the town's current location of trees when he had first come to the area as a strapping young lad and oh, weren't those the days?), how it could be used (don't know quite how it works, but you just turn it on and hold it by the intended pokemon's head and they learn it, bit of a mystery, really), and when she could use it (anytime in battle is fine, but outside of battle you need the Stone Badge from Roxanne, she's quite the precocious little firecracker, she is). When the man seemed to have run out of useful tidbits to add, he clapped Edith on the shoulder, wished her good luck, and disappeared back into his house as quickly as he had come. Edith stood on his doorstep, slightly shell-shocked, for a few moments. Clearly, some people in charge of dispensing HMs had a great time with theatrics. Gathering herself, she set off for the next destination: the gym.

Unfortunately, after about 10 minutes of fruitless wandering, Edith had to admit that she had taken a wrong turn somewhere and now needed to ask for directions. Fortunately (or unfortunately, seeing the overexcited trainers clustered outside) she stumbled on the local trainer's school. Certainly someone here could point her in the right direction. She walked inside, and the reason for the excitement was immediately clear; there was a gaggle of trainers surrounding an extremely famous recruiter. Edith cursed under her breath, shielding her eyes and pointedly heading away from the man currently being bombarded with questions. She immediately ran into someone.

"Oh!" Edith cried, startled, fearful that the recruiter had somehow magically teleported away from his adoring fans and had found her. Seeing that this was not the case, she apologized to the short, somewhat plump man she had banged into.

"It's quite alright, my dear," he responded genially. He scrutinized her for a moment. "Are you a student here?"

"Oh, no," Edith replied, briefly glancing towards the recruiter to ensure he hadn't moved any closer. "I'm actually looking for the gym, but I'm afraid I'm a bit lost."

The man smiled understandingly. "I can give you directions. I'm a teacher at this school, so I know my way around," he added with a friendly wink. Edith nodded gratefully. Unfortunately, the man then continued, "Wouldn't you like to meet the recruiter before you go? Most of the students here are still studying, but as a trainer it could be really beneficial to you to start making friends in the professional world." He took hold of Edith's elbow and began to lead her towards the noisy crowd. She resisted, trying to think of a polite excuse.

"Well, I don't need to waste his time; I don't even know if I'm going to pursue any field with training or anything like that; it's really alright, I can just go on to the gym anyway…" she rambled, eager to get away. Her excuses fell on deaf ears; the teacher marched her right up to the recruiter and tapped him on the shoulder. Many of the students vying for his attention groaned audibly.

"Trust me, this will be a great career move. He's from the Kanto region…" At this point, Scott turned to face them and the teacher began, "This is Scott. Scott, this is…err, what did you say your name was?" he turned to Edith.

"It's Edie…" she replied quietly, trying to pitch her voice lower and not look too closely at Scott, who was looking rather jovial as usual. Wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, he looked more ready for a day at the beach than a trainer meet-and-greet. He adjusted the sunglasses perched on his nose (despite the fact that they were inside) and his pudgy face quirked into a smile. Edith thought of the last time she had seen him, the last time she had turned down his recruiting attempts.

"Nice to meet you, Edie!" Scott said cheerfully, shaking her hand energetically. "Are you a trainer?"

"Well, yes, but I just—" she began.

"Have you beaten the first gym leader yet?" he barreled on, hardly hearing her.

"Well, no, I was just on my way—"

"You'd better get a move on! Beating gym leaders is a trainer's first step on the grand staircase to glory! Tell me, Edie, how interested are you in battling professionally?"

"I dunno, somewhat interested, I don't really—" and once again she was cut off.

"Wait a minute." Scott pushed his sunglasses into his hair and peered at Edith. "You look really familiar. Where are you from?"

Edith blanched. "I'm from…uh…Littleroot Town," she answered at last, hoping her longer hair and slightly more mundane choice of clothing, coupled with a totally different location, would be enough to convince him they had never met.

"Huh." Scott thought for a minute. "You got a sister in Kanto or anything?"

"Oh, no, I don't know much about other regions," Edith said hastily.

Scott was quiet. "Ah well; you just look a lot like this trainer from Kanto. One of the best of our time, really. A real shame, that…" he sighed heavily, then immediately perked up. "Edie, I don't want to keep you from your gym battle any longer than I have." He shook her hand again. "Good luck to you! Remember that we're always looking out for bright and upcoming trainers!" Edith nodded and allowed herself to be led away by the teacher, relieved.

"He seemed to really like you," the teacher remarked casually. They stepped outside and he directed Edith to the nearest corner. "From here, you're gonna want to go straight along this street, then take a right after the big gray house. The gym is well-marked, so you should find it easily." Edith repeated the instructions back to him, and he nodded. "Also, just for kicks, I'd like to give you this," the teacher held out a small claw. "Do you know what this is?" he asked.

"It's a quick claw. If you give it to a pokemon, they have a greater chance of attacking first," she answered without thinking. The teacher laughed in surprise.

"Great! You really know your stuff! This will definitely not be wasted on you."

"Thanks! Thanks for your help!" Edith took her leave and headed in the direction of the gym.

The sun had just passed the midpoint when she reached the gym. Heat waves shimmered around it, and light reflected brilliantly off the industrial metal-plated walls. It was quite an imposing gym, all rock and steel, with high ceilings and lots of fashionable angles. The sign outside proclaimed it as:

RUSTBORO CITY POKEMON GYM

LEADER: ROXANNE

"The ROCK-loving honors student!"

She couldn't help but smile, ready for a battle. She ticked through her pokemon, thinking of type advantages. Glade was probably her best choice against rock types; Lotad would work just as well, but she doubted it was a high enough level to take on a gym leader, even the first one, since she hadn't been training it. It would be nice to use Waltz and train her more, but Edith didn't know if she could handle the many physical attacks rock types generally favored. Pecha only knew normal type attacks, so that was out. Edith released Glade.

"I think it's up to you," she told Glade. Glade barked and pawed the ground. They then stepped together into the cool darkness of the gym, tingling with excitement.

The cave-like interior of the gym was a welcome change to the oppressive heat from outside. Edith took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, taking in the shapes that were slowly becoming apparent. Past the two customary pillars at the very entrance that listed conquering trainers' names and scheduled battles were tall stone walls that appeared to weave back and forth, creating a maze. There was no one on the current battle list or the waiting list, much to Edith's relief. She marked her name down on the current battle list and called to Glade, who picked an entrance to the maze and set off.

They walked in silence, unconsciously being careful to not let even their footfalls create enough noise to disturb the oppressive silence of the gym. Every once and a while voices could be heard, but they encountered no one. Edith began to suspect that Glade was leading her in such a way that they avoided all the junior trainers, something she wasn't sure if she wanted to do or not. Still, before long they exited the maze into a cavernous room. The dim lighting barely reached the vaulted ceilings, but there was more light on a rise in the center of the room, revealing a tiny figure.

The figure turned to face them as they approached. Her pokemon were already out and surrounding her: two Geodude and a strange, squat pokemon that look like a giant head with stubby arms and legs. Edith surreptitiously fished out her Pokedex.

"Welcome," the girl on the platform said, startling Edith a bit. She hastily returned her Pokedex to her bag. "I am Roxanne of the Rustboro Gym. As you can see, I am a rock type trainer," she gestured to her pokemon. Then, stepping towards Edith, she extended a hand, saying politely, "And you are?"

Edith was surprised to see how young she was—she looked as if she had just completed her own pokemon adventure. Edith had only ever known one other gym leader to start so young…she shook her head to clear away the sudden loneliness she felt. "I'm Edie." They shook hands.

"Do you understand how the gym leader challenge works, Edie?" Roxanne asked. Edith nodded. "Then, if you have no questions, shall we begin?" Edith grinned.

"Let's go!" She motioned to Glade, who chirped happily and crouched, ready. "Since this is a rock type gym, we wanna use Water Gun a lot, ok, Glade?" Edith called. Glade nodded.

Roxanne sent out her first pokemon: one of the Geodude.

"Do a Water Gun!" Edith shouted.

"Geodude, use Tackle…!" Roxanne began, but it was too late. Glade's Water Gun caught the Geodude square in the face, and it tumbled off the platform and into the dimness. Roxanne looked shocked. She raced after the Geodude, only to return with it in its pokeball. She looked at Edith, her gaze challenging Edith to do the same thing twice. "Geodude, it's your turn!" The second Geodude dispatched.

"Use Water Gun again!" Edith suggested, extremely curious if Glade could repeat the maneuver.

"Avoid it, Geodude! Tackle it!" Roxanne cried. At first it seemed as though the attack would miss; the Geodude swiveled out of the path of the stream of water and was heading for Glade when Glade simply turned, redirecting the stream and catching the Geodude in the side. Again, the Geodude was knocked back and Roxanne was forced to recall it.

Now Roxanne looked appalled, if not a little annoyed as well. She called forth her last pokemon. "Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!"

Edith frowned. "Ready, Glade? Get this guy with Water Gun too!" Glade managed to hit the Nosepass with Water Gun, but the opposing pokemon merely shook its head and responded with Rock Tomb. Rocks crashed down around Glade, who huddled in a ball until it stopped, then struggled out of the rubble.

Roxanne seemed relieved that the Water Gun had not demolished her Nosepass in one shot.

Edith noticed that Glade was slowed by a slight limp. "Just a little more, Glade!" she encouraged. "Try to circle around and use Water Gun again!" Glade obeyed, running off in a circle around the Nosepass.

"Don't let it get away, Nosepass! Use Block!" Roxanne countered. Nosepass stamped a foot, and suddenly a wall of rock shot up from the floor of the gym, cutting off Glade's route. Glade reacted quickly, stopping and using Water Gun from where he was. The surprised Nosepass couldn't move in time and was knocked back. Edith cheered. Unfortunately, the Nosepass produced an Oran berry from somewhere, which it ate, getting some strength back. Edith groaned audibly.

"Oh well, Glade. Just keep using Water Gun!" Edith shouted.

"Nosepass, use Tackle this time!" Roxanne suggested.

Glade waited, unmoving, while the Nosepass barreled towards him. Right before they collided, Glade sprayed a stream of water into Nosepass's face, slowing him down and lessening the force of the tackle. They sprang apart, looking exhausted. Roxanne called Nosepass to her and administered a potion.

Edith called to Glade, "Do you need a potion too?" Glade shook his head, a comically human gesture. "Then, keep up the good work!" she said encouragingly.

As Nosepass lumbered back onto the battlefield, Glade shot him with another blast of water. He responded with Rock Tomb, which left Glade hurting and limping. While Glade extracted himself from the pile of rocks, moving slowly and painfully, Roxanne took the opportunity to give Nosepass another potion. Edith cursed under her breath.

"Glade, come back here and get a potion!" she called. Glade ignored her. "Hey! Come here and get a potion!" Glade ran away from her, going to meet Nosepass as it reentered the battlefield. Nosepass was looking tired, but still fresher than Glade. "You don't have to be a martyr, you know!" Edith shouted in frustration.

Glade stopped between the two trainers, breathing heavily. Nosepass clumped towards him, gearing up for an attack. Edith shouted from the sidelines. Glade slumped to one side, looking wearily at his attacker. Finally, Nosepass began to pick up speed, bearing down on the ostensibly exhausted Glade. At the last possible second, Glade rolled to the side and blasted the unsuspecting pokemon, suddenly powered-up despite being near-fainting.

The Nosepass fell on its back, waving its tiny arms and legs feebly before fainting. Roxanne let out a squawk of surprise. Edith produced a similar noise and ran to Glade, who was standing shakily and looking quite pleased with himself. She gave him a potion (this time accepted willingly), but was startled when he began to glow.

Glade looked even more startled. He gave a small cry and looked at Edith fearfully. It had been a while since she had seen anything like it, but she couldn't forget something as important as this.

Laughing, Edith said, "Glade, you're evolving!" Glade continued to look at her apprehensively, his body suddenly growing and morphing. After a few moments, the glow faded, and Edith looked more closely at her pokemon. Glade was also checking himself over for any strangeness. He now stood on two short legs and had flexible arms, and the fins on his head and backside had grown. Finally satisfied that the evolution was at least not a disappointment, Glade toddled over to Edith on his two legs. Roxanne also approached her.

"That was a battle well fought," she began, looking serene and collected again. "League rules state that I must now confer upon you this Rustboro City Stone Badge along with your winnings." She presented Edith with a silver, angular badge, which Edith promptly pinned inside her backpack on the pocket she kept her trainer ID in. Roxanne continued, "Also, I'd like you to have this TM." She gave Edith a silver disc, which was also packed. "It's Rock Tomb, one of my favorite moves. I hope it benefits you as well."

"Thanks," Edith said with a grin. "That was a great battle."

Roxanne smiled and gave a little wave before retreating into the darkness beyond the stage. Edith walked triumphantly with Glade back to the entrance.

"That was awesome!" She exclaimed as they walked. He chattered back excitedly. Edith was surprised to suddenly understand a few words interspersed in Glade's response. Even though he definitely wasn't speaking human language, she found that every couple of words, something would resonate within her that contained a very specific _meaning_. She told him as much, feeling extremely pleased with herself. He responded with even more energetic responses, which she half-understood and tried to reply to.

At the door, Edith was pleased to see that her name had already been added to the digital display of conquering trainers. She and Glade admired it for a moment, before Edith recalled Glade. She stepped out into the blinding afternoon sun, planning to visit the Pokemon Center again before continuing on her way to the next town.

As she neared the main drag, Edith became aware of shouts and pounding footsteps.

"Get out of the way!" People in the street cried out as a man in a familiar uniform pushed angrily through them, clutching something to his chest. He blew past Edith and ran north, towards the other end of town. From where he had come another familiar-looking man suddenly followed, breathing heavily and looking quite distressed.

"Wait! Please!" He bent over, hands on his knees, struggling for breath and looking miserably at where the thief had disappeared. Edith recognized him as Brian, the scientist she had helped before and threaded through the crowd towards him. He noticed her as she approached and brightened considerably. "Oh! You're the girl who helped me in Petalburg Woods!" He grabbed her shoulders desperately. "Team Aqua took the goods! Please help me! I have to get them back; if I don't…" he shook his head sadly, "I'm going to be in serious trouble."

Edith couldn't shake a feeling of impending doom. This situation was similar to so many before—it starts innocently enough, helping someone out, but there's always something more, something bigger and something sinister, something that she gets caught up in, unable to sit by and do nothing but in the end it messes everything up… She shook her head, annoyed and apprehensive.

She looked at Brian and said determinedly, "I'll go after him and get the Devon goods back."

He looked elated. "Oh, thank you, thank you! You'd better hurry, since he just left!" Edith couldn't help but feel annoyed at his complete willingness to leave everything to her, but nonetheless took off in the direction she had seen the thief run.

She at first went north once she left the town, but discovered only steep hills and no apparent signs of recent passage. Backtracking, she instead left the town through its east gate, entering a lightly wooded area with invitingly long grass. There were trainers everywhere, but she sprinted past them, ignoring their challenges to battle. There was a rather destroyed path of brush and grass, which she followed eagerly.

It finally led her into a clearing containing a somewhat haphazardly constructed house. The other side of the clearing ended abruptly in an impassable rocky hill. She stared at it in confusion for a few seconds, catching her breath. Walking slowly past the house towards the rock, she noticed an elderly man pacing worriedly back in forth in front of what appeared to be an entrance to a cave within the hill. As she approached, she could hear him muttering furiously to himself. He noticed her with a start

"Ohhh, what shall I do?" He noticed her with a start, then continued, sounding more pleading, "I was taking a walk with Peeko and we were suddenly jumped by a thug!" Without waiting for her response, the man shouted, "The scoundrel made off with my darling Peeko!" He let out a strange anguished roar. "Peeko!"

Edith stared at the man, slightly disturbed by his strange wailings. "I'll do my best to get back your Peeko, sir," she said quickly before running into the cave, leaving him moaning miserably at the entrance.

The inside of the cave was extremely foggy and eerie, and Edith found herself nervously humming under her breath. There was enough light to see by, but shadows loomed along the walls in a less-than-comforting way. She moved as quickly as she could through the rapidly narrowing path, peering into the gloom for the Aqua thief.

There was a frustrated growl ahead of her, and Edith couldn't help but jump in surprise. The Aqua grunt materialized out of the fog before her, looking extremely annoyed. His expression changed into worry when he recognized her.

"What, you again? Come on!" He released his Poochyena again, continuing to gripe. "Keelhaul it all! That hostage pokemon turned out to be worthless!" Edith became aware of a Wingull on a leash tied to a rock. "And my escape plan leads to a dead end! So you'll battle me again, huh?"

Edith glared at him and released Glade. "All I want is to recover the things you stole." The grunt snorted stubbornly. "Alright, then, use Water Gun, Glade!" Glade blasted the surprised Poochyena into a rock.

"Bite it, Poochyena!" the grunt countered. The Poochyena managed to bite Glade ferociously on the foreleg. Glade howled in annoyance. Without being told, he discharged another, more powerful Water Gun. This one hit the Poochyena before it could retreat sufficiently and sent it tumbling head over heels into the wall. It struggled to its feet, hesitated, then ran whimpering to cower behind the Aqua grunt.

The Aqua grunt looked pleadingly at his pokemon but also seemed unwilling to deal with Edith a second time. He threw up his hands in frustration and growled to himself, "The boss said this would be an easy job to pull." He rounded on Edith, thrusting the package towards her. "You want it back that badly, take it!"

Edith grabbed the package, surprised, and the grunt pushed angrily past her, snapping his fingers for his pokemon to follow. She let him go, instead releasing the frazzled Wingull and inspecting the surprising end to the tunnel. It looked as if the workers had simply turned around and gone home, leaving a rough wall of rock blocking the way.

The Wingull took off towards the entrance of the cave, and Edith hurried to follow. They met the distraught man from outside near the entrance. He gasped when he saw them, crying, "PEEKO! You're safe!" He hugged the bird. Looking at Edith around the pokemon in his arms, he added, "Peeko owes her life to you!" Tears of elation streamed down his cheeks and he reached to shake Edith's hand heartily, saying, "They call me Mr. Briney. And, you are?"

"I'm Edie," she replied, giving Peeko's head a pat.

Mr. Briney continued, still shaking her hand, "I sincerely thank you! Now, if there's anything that troubles you, don't hesitate to tell me! I'm usually in my cottage by the sea near Petalburg Woods." He finally released her hand, still nuzzling his pokemon. "Come, Peeko, we should make our way home." He bustled away joyfully, singing loudly to Peeko and leaving Edith to stare, dumbfounded, after him.

She shook herself from her stupor and remembered the package she had recovered. Resisting the urge to peek inside, she followed the path Mr. Briney had taken out, feeling less claustrophobic as it widened near the entrance. On the walk back into town she accepted all challenges, especially the ones she had sprinted past on the way in. Despite knowing only Confusion, Waltz did an excellent job battling and was getting stronger very quickly. Edith finally realized how much time she had spent battling and, feeling a little guilty, headed back into town.

Brian was waiting anxiously at the edge of Rustboro, wringing his hands and checking his watch. When he caught sight of Edith he let out a little cry and practically ran to her.

"How did it go? The Devon goods…?" She handed him the package. "You did! You got them back! You're amazing!" He gripped her shoulders, stopping just short of hugging her in relief. Then, reaching into his pocket, he said, "As my thanks, I'll give you a great ball!" Edith took it in surprise. Before she could thank him, something seemed to occur to him and he grabbed her hand, saying, "Oh, I know! Come with me!"

They took off through the town, heading towards a very official-looking building. Giant silver letters above the ridiculously tall doors spelled out DEVON CORPORATION. Brian pushed open the doors and headed straight for the stairs, flashing a pass at a security guard and indicating that Edith was with him.

As they climbed, Brian explained, "This is the third floor, where our president's office is." He led them to a receptionist and spoke briefly with her before returning. "I really appreciate your help." He paused, looking a little sheepish. "And, um…I was thinking…Could I get you to deliver that to the shipyard in Slateport?" Seeing Edith's too-late concealed expression of surprised annoyance, he quickly added, "I don't want Team Aqua to come after it again, so maybe…could you…?" At the desk, the receptionist motioned for him to come over. "Oh, right. Hold on a second." After another quick conversation with the receptionist, she opened one of the double doors behind her and Brian beckoned to Edith. "I arranged for you to meet with the president. Please come this way."

They stepped into a large, ornately fashioned office. Handsomely carved furniture displayed various Devon inventions, and plush upholstered chairs crowded around a large desk, behind which a stately looking gentleman sat. Brian gestured to the man. "Please, go ahead."

As Edith approached the desk, the man sitting behind it smiled warmly, standing up to greet her. He reached out for a handshake and motioned for her to sit. "I'm Mr. Stone, the president of the Devon Corporation. I just heard about your great deed saving not only my staff, but also valuable Devon goods!" Edith shook her head in protest of his praise, but he simply leaned forward seriously and continued, "I have a favor to ask of an amazing person like you. I understand that you're delivering a package to Slateport's shipyard." Edith nodded with a sinking feeling. "Well, on the way, could you stop off in Dewford town? I was hoping that you could deliver a letter to Steven there."

Edith sighed mentally. _At this rate I might as well go into the postal service instead of pokemon training…_ To Mr. Stone, she nodded and replied, "Of course I'll take the letter."

Mr. Stone smiled, pleased. He held up a finger. "Now, I would never ask something like this without giving something in return. So, I want you to have this!" From a shelf on the wall he pulled a colorful box and placed it in front of her, indicating that she should open it. Inside she discovered the same phone-like device that Brendan had been carrying.

Edith couldn't help but gasp at the lavish gift; she had talked to her parents and decided that it would be cheaper to just use public phones and maps as needed, rather than plunk down the sizeable investment for any pokegear. "Thank you so much, Mr. Stone!" she breathed, holding the device reverently.

Mr. Stone continued, "That's a Pokenav, from our newest line of pokegear." He showed her how to turn it on and pressed a button to reveal a map of the region, explaining, "It has an interactive map of the Hoenn region, so you can check the locations of Dewford and Slateport easily!" He paused, becoming grave, "And I know that you had to fight Team Aqua to save Brian here, so I'd like to rest your pokemon before you head out." He motioned for Brian to take Edith's pokeballs to a healing device near the room's large window. The machine hummed cheerily, dinged, and blinked. Brian returned her pokeballs, and Mr. Stone stood up to shake her hand again, saying, "Well, then, Edie, go with caution and care!"

She smiled gratefully, quite taken with the fatherly gentleman. "Thank you so much. It was wonderful to meet you!" Brian showed her to the staircase, and she eagerly bounded downstairs, ready to move on. When she passed through the lobby, the security guards and receptionist waved and bowed, thought she couldn't decide if that was custom or because Mr. Stone had told them who she was.

Edith strolled through the plaza outside the Devon building, considering her next move. She had to get to Dewford, and then to Slateport… She flipped open her Pokenav, extremely amused to see her little blinking dot on the map near the larger blinking dot of the Devon building. Distracted by exploring the features of the phone, she didn't hear Brian come puffing up behind her.

"Edie!" He cried, out of breath. She jumped. "Sorry…Can I see your Pokenav for a second?" He popped off the back cover and inserted a tiny chip, fiddled with a few things, then snapped it back together and handed it to her. "I added a new feature named 'Matchcall' to your Pokenav; you can chat with people who have been registered. President Stone should be registered in there, too. Go ahead and call him!" he suggested.

Scrolling through the options, she discovered the new Matchcall and Mr. Stone's phone number. She listened as the phone rang, feeling a little silly calling the president from right outside his building. There was a click.

"Ah, hello? Is this Edie?"

"Hi, Mr. Stone; I was just testing out the Pokenav's Matchcall…" Edith began.

He laughed mischievously. "I know! I can see you from my window!" She looked up quickly, searching for his window on the third floor. More cackling issued from the Pokenav before the call ended. Edith and Brian blinked at each other.

"Well, anyway, I'll let you get on your way," Brian began, heading back to the building.

Edith waved. "See you!" Then, making sure all her precious new cargo was safely packed in her bag, she set off for Mr. Briney's house in the hopes that he would be willing to help her in thanks for saving his dear Peeko. As she neared the southern edge of the town, she was surprised to see a familiar figure standing outside the Pokemon Center, fidgeting with his Pokenav.

Brendan turned when she got closer, smiling boyishly. "Edie! I was wondering when I would run into you!"


	4. Chapter 4

Pokemon does not belong to me

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 3

"Brendan!" Edith smiled and jogged towards him. "Fancy seeing you here!" They exchanged warm smiles.

"You look like you're heading out," Brendan commented. "Did you already beat Roxanne?"

Edith laughed in embarrassment. "Actually, yea, this morning…" She fished the badge out of her backpack and showed him. He reacted with the appropriate oohs and aahs.

"You're probably a whole lot better than me at this point, but do you wanna battle anyway?" he suggested after a moment, returning the badge to her.

She was just about to agree when they was interrupted by a ferocious growl. Brendan stared at her.

"Was that your stomach?"

She blinked, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. "I totally forgot that I missed lunch! This day has been so weird…" She laughed in surprise.

"Maybe we should get lunch before our battle. How about I treat and you can tell me about your weird day?" he suggested with a boyish grin.

Edith nodded, feeling somewhat warm in the face. They went to the Pokemon Center, and Brendan shelled out some extra money for the slightly more upscale restaurant off to the side of the mess hall. Edith grimaced inwardly; she could get them in for significantly less by showing her old trainer card, but she certainly couldn't do that if she expected to pass as someone else in this region.

The restaurant was pleasantly cool compared to the shimmering heat outside. They both ordered a lunch with a somewhat off-putting name, the Rockburger with Rocks, which was highly recommended by the staff as a local favorite. As it turned out, it was just a very tasty burger with vaguely rock-shaped french fries. While they ate, Edith filled Brendan in on her hectic day.

"So, after you beat Roxanne you had to go get the Devon stuff back from that Team Aqua guy _again_?" Brendan asked in amazement.

"Yea…" Edith shook her head. "But he was a total pushover this time. And he had stolen some poor old man named Mr. Briney's pokemon Wingull, so I got it back for him."

Brendan nodded in recognition. "Yea, I met Mr. Briney on my way through Petalburg Woods! He was walking with Peeko and telling everyone who would listen about how a wonderful trainer saved her from the clutches of evil! I can't believe that was you!" They laughed.

"So," Edith continued, "when I returned the goods to Brian, the researcher, he took me to Devon Corp. and introduced me to President Stone, and—"

"You met President Stone?" Brendan interrupted in surprise. Edith nodded, not quite understanding. At her look of confusion, he added, "He just doesn't meet with people that often. He has a reputation as being kind of reclusive and eccentric."

She thought for a moment, remembering her phone call to him. "Well, he is kind of eccentric…but he's really nice! Look!" She pulled out her Pokenav. "He gave me a Pokenav for doing him a favor!"

Brendan flipped the device open and pressed a few buttons. "Hey, you got Matchcall too!" He pulled out his own Pokenav. "Do you mind if I add you?" She shook her head. There was more button-pressing, and then he returned her Pokenav. She noticed that he had input his name as "Brendan", followed by a little heart, and smiled, an expression that he did not miss.

The check came soon after, and Brendan seemed very pleased to take care of Edith's lunch. She thanked him graciously, and they headed outside. In front of the Pokemon Center, Brendan turned to her and abruptly challenged her to battle.

Edith blinked. "You want to battle right here? In front of all these people?"

"Well, not right by the door," he clarified, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from the door. He stopped in a more open area, still holding her wrist and standing quite close. "Let's battle," he said softly, looking very seriously at her.

She felt slightly giddy, very taken by how handsome he was, and nodded. "Fine by me." She brushed a hand over the pokeballs at her belt, deciding to release Waltz. Waltz chimed happily and hugged Edith's leg.

Meanwhile, Brendan released his own pokemon, a Wingull. While he talked strategy with his pokemon, Edith did the same.

"I know we only have Confusion available to us right now, so start with Growl, then use Confusion and try to dodge him, ok?" Waltz nodded, solemnly laying a small hand on Edith's knee.

Brendan's Wingull suddenly flew up and began circling around Waltz.

"Use Supersonic!" Brendan began. Waltz was faster, growling fairly convincingly. Unfortunately, it didn't immediately affect the Wingull, who continued to circle Waltz while letting out a strange keening. Edith steeled herself against it, knowing that trainers could also be affected. She was not pleased to see that both Waltz and Brendan looked confused, but Brendan shook his head a few times and seemed to clear his head. Waltz, however, was unable to focus on the Wingull, swaying a bit before stumbling forward.

Interestingly enough, at the same moment, Wingull let out a surprised cry and crashed to the ground in an uncoordinated heap, confused by way of Waltz's Synchronize ability. From this more stationary position, Waltz was able to, on her hands and knees (gripping the earth as if she might fall off), finally use Confusion on the Wingull. It stumbled, flapping its wings wildly, but shot a Water Gun at Waltz and knocked her onto her back.

Despite being hurt, Waltz came to her senses and retaliated with Confusion again. The poor Wingull, hardly able to tell which direction was up, spun around once in a circle and promptly fainted.

Edith and Waltz cheered, and Brendan replaced his Wingull with Treecko. Waltz declined a potion from Edith, instead going straight into using Confusion on the Treecko, who retaliated with a Quick Attack. Edith noticed that their battle was slowly drawing a crowd.

Waltz, suddenly pumped up, made an unpleasant face at Treecko and used Confusion again. This time Treecko seemed even more affected, reeling and retaliating with Absorb at Brendan's command. It hardly seemed to affect Waltz, however, who simply used Confusion, leaving the Treecko lying on the ground to stare at the spinning sky.

"Dang," Brendan began, recalling his pokemon. "That's a really strong Ralts you got!" 

Waltz preened modestly before Edith recalled her. The crowd surrounding the pair clapped appreciatively, remarking on the battle amongst themselves. Suddenly embarrassed, the two waved awkwardly at their audience, and Brendan took hold of Edith's hand and led her away from the curious onlookers.

"Good battle," Edith said hesitantly, hoping Brendan was still a gracious loser. He grinned reassuringly.

"Are you going to move on from here now?" he asked.

She nodded. "I have to go to Dewford for the next gym battle, and I have to deliver that stuff to Steven in Dewford and the shipyard in Slateport, so I was thinking of bumming a ride off of Mr. Briney, since he said he owes me a favor…" She smiled shyly. "Are you going to stay here and challenge Roxanne?"

"Yea; I think Treecko will do really well against her rock types." He glanced at his watch. "I might try to challenge her this afternoon, if the gym hasn't closed already…"

"Good idea," Edith agreed. "I'm going to try to get to Mr. Briney's now and see what he can do for me but um…can I call you later?"

Brendan looked pleased to hear this and nodded emphatically. "Please do! I wanna hear from you…"

On sudden impulse, Edith leaned in a kissed his cheek. She pulled back quickly, cheerily waved goodbye, then turned and marched resolutely out of the town, certain her face was Tamato red.

Still frozen in the same spot, Brendan recovered his wits, let out a surprised laugh, and belatedly waved to Edith's departing back. That afternoon the rumor regarding the mysterious visiting gym leader expanded to include her cute, if slightly less-skilled boyfriend.

Edith's journey to Mr. Briney's house was expedited not only by the extremely accurate map in her Pokenav, but also by her giddy excitement, which kept her thoughts occupied as she practically skipped along. After what seemed like only minutes, she was again standing before Mr. Briney's door.

Like before, no one answered when she knocked, but she could hear laughter and shouts coming from inside. Gently pushing open the door, she saw Mr. Briney chasing Peeko around the room. Clearing her throat, she hesitantly called his name, but he didn't even seem to notice her, so absorbed he was in playing with his pokemon.

She tried again. "Excuse me, Mr. Briney? I hope this isn't a bad time, I don't mean to bother you, but…" Finally he noticed her, stopping mid-stride and clapping happily.

"You're the girl from before who saved my Peeko! What do you need, lass? Anything old Mr. Briney can help you with, he will!"

She was relieved that he had recognized her. "Well, I heard that you sometimes ferry people from here to Dewford Town, and I have to go there and to Slateport City to deliver some stuff for Devon Corporation, so I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out…?" No sooner had she spoken than Mr. Briney was bustling about, gathering up important-looking things.

"Of course, lass! You must be quite the busy girl, having to deliver all these things on top of taking the gym challenge! I usually only sail every few days to Dewford and spend about a day there before sailing to Slateport and returning home, but since you saved dear Peeko before, we can leave right away!" He headed for the door holding and huge bundle, calling back, "Peeko, we're setting sail, my darling!" Edith followed him and Peeko outside and down a dock connected to his porch. 

Mr. Briney helped her aboard before setting about readying the ship. Peeko flew close by everywhere he went, occasionally returning to Edith as if to relay some important information. Unfortunately, whatever the message was was lost on Edith, who didn't know Peeko well enough to recognize any particular sounds.

Soon enough they had set sail. At Edith's request, Mr. Briney finally agreed to let her assist him in handling the boat, still insisting that as an honored guest she should just sit back and enjoy the ride. As they left the shore, maintaining the boat became less complicated, and Mr. Briney gave Edith a quick explanation of the boat and its parts before turning into tour guide and describing their scenery.

They first passed a huge rocky hill far off to their right. Mr. Briney explained that the mysterious island had been there quite some time, but no one had ever been able to find a way inside. Edith fell silent as they continued to skip along the waves, lost in thought, reminded of the islands of Kanto and the legendary pokemon they housed. She sighed, suddenly overwhelmed by nostalgia and a strong desire to see the friends she had left behind.

About half and hour passed while Edith mused and Mr. Briney politely concerned himself with directing the boat. They came across several small islands, and he pointed out that the island from before could be reached by crossing these islands and surfing north.

Shaken out of her reverie, Edith began to ask him about the different parts of Hoenn, and they passed the next hour in friendly conversation. She was interrupted mid-sentence by a ringing from her pocket, and excused herself to answer the call.

The connection was poor due to the roaring of the wind and waves, but Edith could hear her father's voice.

"Hey, Edie, Mr. Stone just called me to give me your phone number! When did you meet him?"

Surprised, she replied, "I met him earlier today when I helped him recover some stolen goods. But I didn't tell him you were my dad; how did he know?"

There was a brief pause before her father answered. "He recognized you."

Edith inhaled sharply, accidentally breathing in saliva and coughing. Finally catching her breath, she managed to ask without sounding too panicked, "He recognized me? Did he say anything to anybody else? Am I totally screwed?"

She heard her father chuckle and was mildly annoyed that he could be so glib about this. "When he heard your new name he figured out what you were doing and played along. I think he understands what you're trying to do, and he doesn't intend to expose you. He's probably more interested in attaching his products to your name; when you become famous it'll be great advertising for his company, after all."

She nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "So I guess I'm still okay with all that…"

"Yea, I don't think there will be any problems," Norman agreed. "Where are you headed to now?"

"I'm going to Dewford to challenge the gym leader and deliver a letter. Mr. Briney is giving me a ride," she added, smiling at the captain as he guided the ship closer to a nearby beach.

"That's great!" her father exclaimed. "It sounds like you're really making friends in high places. But listen," at this he became somber, and Edith had to strain to hear him. "Mr. Stone told me about your encounter with Team Aqua and…I just wanted you to know that you don't have to get involved. If you don't want to," he added quickly. "Just…be careful. And remember that you've already done enough; you don't have to…" he sighed and trailed off. "Well, never mind that. Good luck with your gym challenge! I'll give Mom your phone number so she can call you from the house. Talk to you later!"

"Bye…" Edith said distractedly, hanging up. It was rather unnerving having someone know who she was, but she supposed that being an internationally minded company president would lend itself to knowing a lot about world events. Plus, despite immediately recognizing her, he hadn't really treated her any differently. Not considering what she had done for the company prior to all his requests and favors…

"Lass!" Mr. Briney called from the wheel. He gestured to the coastline they were following. She could see small houses and what looked like the telltale red roof of a Pokemon Center. "We're almost to Dewford docks!" Edith followed his instructions, and together they docked the boat and disembarked.

Since the trip had taken several hours, it was now dinnertime. Mr. Briney offered to make dinner for Edith, explaining that he owned a small cottage in Dewford that he stayed in during his frequent visits. They followed a sandy path through the town to his house, and had extremely tasty seafood for dinner. Over dinner, Edith learned that Mr. Briney had been a very successful bird pokemon trainer and breeder, which explained where he found the money to not only ferry people back and forth across the nearby water routes, but also to keep cottages in most of the nearby towns. After helping him clean up, Mr. Briney offered to put Edith up for the night, but she declined, needing to hit up the Pokemon Center for information about this Steven character she had to find. Mr. Briney gave her directions to the Pokemon Center and sent her on her way with some leftovers from dinner as a snack.

The Pokemon Center was as sandy as the rest of the town. The only difference between this nurse and the others that worked in Pokemon Centers around the world was her preference for noisily chewing bubblegum. She twirled a strand of orange-pinkish hair around one finger, blew a bubble, and listened as Edith described her letter-delivering situation.

"Um, like, Steven has been in Dewford for a while, but he, like, doesn't come into town that often. He's, like, out in Granite Cave digging for stuff, you know?" She interspersed her dialogue with more bubbles. "Steven is so totally radical," she added as a useful afterthought.

Edith thanked her and headed to the trainers' room for a shower and some sleep. It was far too late to try to find Granite Cave, and she rationalized that one day wouldn't kill anyone as far as waiting for a letter went.

Laying in her cot, surrounded by pokemon and their sleeping trainers, Edith thought back to her encounter with Brendan. Fortunately, it was dark, so no one could see her rapidly reddening face or her stupid grin. Rolling on her side, she briefly touched the charm in her pocket as if to transfer her happiness to it, then drifted off, dreaming of seeing Brendan again.

She woke at a more usual time the next morning, grabbed a hasty breakfast with her pokemon in the dining hall, then headed out in search of Steven. The faster she could deliver the letter to him, the faster she could get on with her gym challenge. She checked the town's map in the Pokemon Center lobby and headed outside.

The walk was pleasant; there was a cool breeze blowing in from the sea, and the soothing, ever-present sound of crashing waves. Relaxed island-dwellers traversed the streets with their pokemon, wearing sandals or no shoes at all. The northernmost beach of the island was devoid of houses, but there were plenty of fishermen looking for trainer battles. She defeated a few with Waltz, getting further directions to Granite Cave.

Further along the beach Edith finally came to Granite Cave and ducked inside without hesitation. Not very far in was a hiker training with his pokemon.

"Excuse me, are you Steven?" she asked, knowing that it probably couldn't be this easy.

"Hm?" He turned, wiping dirt and sweat from his forehead. "Oh, no, miss, Steven came by a few days ago and has already gone much farther into the cave. But it gets really dark ahead, so you'll need this." He handed her a TM disc. She took it, feeling like things were about to get slightly more complicated. "This is the HM Flash, so it can light up the darker caverns, but you have to have the gym badge from Dewford gym to use it outside of battle. Do you have that yet?"

Edith sighed and shook her head. "I guess I had better go get the gym badge and come back," she said, knowing the futility of wandering around a black cave. "Thanks for your help," she added. The hiker grinned and went back to his training, and Edith turned and headed back to Dewford.

The walk was a bit quicker without the trainer battles and already knowing which way to go. She rechecked the map at the Pokemon Center and headed for the gym.

Dewford Town's gym was a bit smaller than Rustboro's, and was made out of a simple, sturdy concrete. Edith noticed that there also weren't any windows in the entire building. This sign said:

DEWFORD TOWN POKEMON GYM

LEADER: BRAWLY

"A big wave in fighting!"

Edith was surprised. This being an island town, she had expected a water-type gym. It was just as well, though, because she had Waltz, a perfect counter for fighting-type pokemon. She pushed open the door to the ostensibly dimly lit gym, but was extremely taken aback to discover that the inside was _pitch black_. There was a glow-in-the-dark sign up sheet on one wall, which she put her name on.

'What the hell…?' she thought to herself, feeling along the wall. 'How am I supposed to get around in here? I can't even use Flash!' She chanced calling "hello?" to see if it was, in fact, a technical difficulty. From somewhere nearby came a snicker, confirming that the absolute darkness was part of the gym's challenge. Edith continued to edge along the wall and soon noticed a tiny speck of light. As it approached, she realized it was a trainer holding a flashlight under his chin in an attempt to look spooky.

"Might is right! Come on!" he cried, releasing a Machop. Slightly concerned about how they would battle in the near-darkness, Edith released Waltz.

"Waltz, use Confusion!"

"Machop, Karate Chop!"

The Machop leaped through the air, ready to bring its blade-like hand down on Waltz, who was using Confusion as the Machop approached. The attack slowed, but did not stop the pokemon, who struck Waltz hard on the shoulder. Waltz stumbled back, rubbing where she had been hit.

"Confusion again, Waltz! You've got this!" Edith encouraged.

"Use Low Kick this time, Machop!" the opposing trainer countered.

Unfortunately for the Machop, Waltz's second Confusion was enough to knock him out, ending the battle rather quickly. The trainer looked somewhat annoyed at being beaten, but handed Edith a weak flashlight.

"You can use that until you defeat another trainer and get more light. Good luck finding Brawly, though," he added disdainfully.

Training the flashlight on the walls, Edith set off again, away from the jerk of a trainer. It wasn't long before she spied another trainer, this time standing in the more substantial circle of light from a lantern. Without a word, they met each other and began to battle.

This time, when Edith defeated the trainer, her flashlight was exchanged for the lantern. She continued on, having no idea where she was going or what she was looking for. Several times she came to a dead end and had to backtrack to find a different route. Frustrated, she was starting to get fed up when she suddenly stepped out of the narrow hallway into what could only be the gym leader's room. The lights abruptly clicked on, making Edith shout in surprise and squint, momentarily blinded.

"Hey, dudette! Are you my challenger for today?"

Edith rubbed her eyes, taking stock of the man striding toward her. He looked to be only a few years older than her, with longish, messy blue hair and dark tanned skin. Where Roxanne had been prim and professional in manner and dress, Brawly was wearing a loose t-shirt, board shorts, and flip-flops, and looked as if he had just come from the beach. Actually, Edith realized, she could hear the distant sound of waves crashing.

Brawly noticed her sudden scrutiny of the gym. "Yea, cuz I like to surf, they, like, built me a totally radical tunnel to the beach!" He gestured to the rear of the gym, which indeed was a small tunnel leading to a sunny point of light that Edith assumed was his personal spot of beach. "Anyway, dudette, do you wanna battle?" Seeming to remember his manners, he added, "I'm Brawly, by the way, and this is my fighting gym!"

"I'm Edie," she replied, thinking to herself that this wasn't at all similar to the fighting gym she had grown up in. They both released their pokemon.

Machop was the first pokemon out for Brawly; Edith sent out Waltz.

"You're faster, and you have a type advantange," Edith told Waltz. "Use Confusion on this guy until he faints!" Waltz nodded and advanced on the Machop, who was bulking up at Brawly's direction. One Confusion from Waltz seemed to knock him down a bit, but he recovered quickly and flew at Waltz, catching her with a low kick. She got up, already well into the next Confusion. The Machop hardly stood a chance and promptly fainted. Edith cheered. "Great job! Let's see what the next pokemon is!"

Surprised, Brawly recalled his fainted pokemon and released the next one, a curious pokemon that, while looking like a fighting type, was hovering cross-legged above the ground like a psychic type. Edith checked him out with her Pokedex, calling to Waltz, "This guy's fighting-psychic, do you wanna stay in?" Waltz nodded determinedly. "Ok," Edith replied, "but keep in mind that our only attack is Confusion, so it might not be as effective!"

Brawly's Meditite looked as though it were concentrating very hard. Waltz used Confusion, injuring and distracting the Meditite, who once again tried to focus. For several minutes, Waltz used Confusion while the Meditite again and again tried to regain its focus. Edith couldn't believe that Brawly would keep going with the clearly ineffective strategy. At one point he administered a super potion, much to Edith's irritation, and the process began again. She watched in shock as the Meditite let its health be chipped away, all the while trying ineffectually to prepare for some attack. Finally, its eyes opened, it looked at Waltz in confusion, and then it fainted, falling to the floor.

Waltz was looking pretty pumped up, so Edith simply waited for Brawly to release his last pokemon. Her Pokedex identified it as the pure fighting type Makuhita, and she relayed this information to her pokemon.

Brawly and Makuhita spoke briefly, deciding on strategy, and then Makuhita simply looked at Waltz, as if challenging her. Waltz wasted no time; her eyes glowed in concentration as she unleashed Confusion. The Makuhita swayed, heavily affected, but made no move to escape. Unfortunately, Edith realized what he was going to do too late.

"Waltz, watch out for…!" But the Makuhita had already sprung forward, grabbed Waltz, and thrown her to the floor. Edith ground her teeth with worry. After a moment Waltz staggered to her feet. "Waltz," Edith said, crouching down beside her. "I don't think you'll last through the next hit, so let's switch out now."

The pokemon didn't look at her, but merely chimed something determinedly that sounded like, "I'm going to get him before he gets me!" Her eyes were already glowing again.

"I don't think it's a good idea!" Edith yelled, watching with worry. As before, the Makuhita waited, struggling through the attack. Despite looking worse for the wear, it somehow endured the hit, and once again darted forward, seized Waltz, and threw her. She didn't move from where she landed. Edith cried out, running to her pokemon and gently turning her over before recalling her. She sent out Glade in Waltz's place.

Edith and Glade watched the Makuhita extract a sitrius berry from somewhere and crunch down on it, looking significantly more energized. "Hmm…" Edith wondered aloud. "Let's go with Water Gun first, Glade."

Glade barked in agreement and ran forward, releasing a powerful jet of water from his mouth. The Makuhita held up its arms in defense, skidding a bit in the sandy floor, but was otherwise ok. He retaliated again with Vital Throw, but Glade was much heavier than Waltz, and the attack didn't affect him as much.

"Use the sand on the ground and try Mudshot!" Glade reacted quickly, slapping the mud in front of him into Makuhita, who stopped mid-stride and collapsed. Brawly looked a bit surprised, but recalled his fainted pokemon and shook Edith's hand.

"That was an awesome battle, dudette!" he exclaimed, genuinely excited. He dug in the pocket of his board shorts for a small case, from which he extracted a fist-shaped badge and presented to Edith. "Here's your Knuckle Badge; it makes pokemon up to level 30 obey you and lets you use Flash outside of battle. Also, a little something from me…" From his other pocket he withdrew a TM. "That's Bulk Up for ya. It's pretty radical."

Edith thanked him, and they exchanged phone numbers. She left soon after, eager to get Waltz to the Pokemon Center and go find Steven.

The trip to the Pokemon Center was brief; Edith relinquished Waltz and Glade to the nurse, who healed and returned them quickly. Edith hugged Waltz, relieved to see her revived and in good spirits. Waltz patted Edith's hair shyly, hugging her shoulder. Glade ran circles around Edith's legs, pushing her towards the door. She laughed and danced out of his playing, first stopping by on of the PCs in the corner of the room.

Having been primarily focusing on training Glade and Waltz, and to a lesser extent Pecha, she decided to recheck what pokemon were stored in her PC and see if there was anything she wanted to train as well. Logging in, she scrolled through the stored pokemon.

"Shroomish!" The appearance of the tiny mushroom pokemon in her PC surprised her, reminding her of Brian and Mr. Stone from Devon Corp. Feeling suddenly fond of the little creature, she withdrew it and headed back to Granite Cave.

None of the trainers were too keen on challenging her a second time, so she passed unmolested to the cave again. Remembering that she needed a pokemon with Flash, she pulled out the HM disc and her Pokedex. Interestingly enough, Shroomish could learn Flash, but it was such a worthless move…She debated whether or not to give the Shroomish such a useless attack, finally deciding that she could always have her forget it later.

Releasing Shroomish, she sat down on a rock beside the pokemon. "Hey there, Shroomish, how do you feel about training together?" The Shroomish, unfortunately, seemed to have a rather sour disposition and simply glared at Edith out of the corner of her eye. "Well, I guess I would be in a bad mood too if I had no arms…" Edith remarked. "Anyway, we are gonna go into this cave right here and look for Steven, and maybe train some, so I'm gonna teach you Flash, ok?" Before the poor pokemon could react, she had grabbed the HM case and cracked it open by Shroomish. There was a sudden flash of light, and Edith could tell that Shroomish had learned the move. Her pokemon shook herself in a rather disgruntled manner and pointedly turned away.

Edith laughed and hopped up, going into the cave. "C'mon, Grumpy," she called. The Shroomish sat, mildly pouting, until she realized that Edith wasn't coming back out. Jumping huffily off the rock she was perched on, she ran indignantly after Edith.

They passed the hiker from before, and Edith showed him her new badge. He gave her a thumbs up and went back to training. The first level of the cave was relatively uneventful—there was ample light filtering in through cracks in the rock, no trainers, and relatively manageable wild pokemon. Despite Grumpy's pessimistic disposition, Edith quickly discovered that subtle challenges to her ability to battle could provoke plenty of training situations.

They traversed the entry level of the cave in no time, but descended into the inky blackness of a lower excavated level. Grumpy used Flash at Edith's prodding ("Maybe I can catch a pokemon here that can actually use Flash…"), and they made their way along by the light emanating from Grumpy. Despite the long walk, they still encountered no trainers on the uneven and winding path. Grumpy continued to level, although she still seemed ostensibly irritated in battles. Edith's Pokedex flourished as they encountered new native-to-Hoenn pokemon.

Finally, Edith noticed that the path was making a gentle ascent, and more and more light was coming not just from Grumpy, but also the path ahead. Edith was momentarily afraid that they had explored the entire cave and not even seen a trace of Steven, when she realized that the path had led them into and small and recent-looking chamber, in the center of which sat an overly well-dressed man with longish silvery hair scrutinizing a rock with a magnifying glass. He was surrounded by pokemon, some of which Edith didn't recognize.

He looked up when she entered, momentarily confused until he realized he was still holding the magnifying glass to his eye.

"Um…excuse me," Edith began, "Are you Steven?" One of his pokemon, a tiny Aron, waddled curiously over to her.

"Yes," he said, standing up and unnecessarily brushing off his suit, which was somehow magically free of dirt or dust. "I'm Steven Stone. And you are?"

"I'm Edie…" she replied before his words sank in. "Steven Stone? As in, related to Mr. Stone of Devon Corp?"

Steven looked a bit surprised. "Yes; he's my father."

Edith dug in her backpack for the letter from Mr. Stone, then handed it to Steven. "Well, this came from your dad for you." Without ceremony, he opened the letter and quickly scanned it, his expression darkening. He ran a hand through his silvery hair in frustration and carefully folded the letter into his pocket.

"Well, that was a bit of unexpected news," he remarked to Edith, gathering tools up that had been spread around the room into a duffel bag. His pokemon helped; aside from the small Aron were several oddly shaped steel pokemon which zipped around, somehow carrying tools despite their lack of arms. She helped too, bringing small pickaxes and chisels to him. "Sorry; thanks," he said, packing the items and slinging his duffel bag onto his shoulder. Recalling his pokemon, he turned to Edith, saying, "I've got to leave now, so if you'd like, you're welcome to walk with me back to the entrance."

Edith nodded, and they headed out.

"I hope you didn't come all the way here just to find me!" he commented as they walked.

She hesitated only for a second. "Well, I had to come to Dewford anyway to check out Brawly's gym, so I told Mr. Stone, I mean, your dad, that I could take the letter."

"Oh," he replied. "So you're a trainer, then?" he asked with some interest, looking more carefully at her.

"I…um, yes." She tried to ignore his scrutiny. Presently they came to an almost stair-like rock formation that Edith hadn't noticed before, and Steven carefully led the way down. Unfortunately, Edith stepped on some loose rocks, losing her footing and tumbling the rest of the way down. The rocks she displaced caused a large section of the wall to come apart, and as she fell she saw something dark and sinister looking at her from the depths of the wall.

She screamed, no longer concerned with falling or being crushed by the rocks. Steven grabbed her arms and deftly pulled her out of harm's way, but she hardly noticed, so intent she was on finding those large, blind eyes she had seen in the darkness. The dust from the rocks settled, and they waited in silence, Edith on edge and Steven slightly confused about all the commotion. The sound of tiny footsteps and displaced pebbles reached their ears before a curious purple creature slunk into view.

Edith started, but Steven simply said, "Oh, a Sableye!" Edith pulled out her Pokedex and looked more closely at the demon-like pokemon. Its body was so thin it appeared emaciated, with long and fierce-looking claws on its hands and feet, but the worst part were its eyes: two blind, glimmering jewels that stared, unblinking, at the two humans.

Releasing Grumpy, Edith said, "I'm going to catch it."

Considering her earlier terror, Steven had to ask. "Why?"

"Because it scares me," she replied. Then, quietly to herself, she added, "This region has the weirdest pokemon…"

This last statement did not escape Steven, and he waited patiently while she battled the Sableye. It was over quickly, and he had to admit that she was a skilled trainer even if he could only base his judgment on the few minutes he had just seen. Filing this information away for later consideration, he joined her as they again headed towards the cave exit.

"So, if you dad's the president of Devon Corp, does that mean you work for them too? Were you doing research for them in here?" Edith asked casually as they walked.

He once again appeared surprised at how little she knew about him. "No, I don't work for Devon Corp. I came to Granite Cave to search for rare stones and fossils; it's my hobby."

"Oh," she fell silent for a moment. "Well, did you find anything good this time around?"

He pulled several sheets of paper out of his pocket and shuffled through them. "Ah, here it is. On this dig I found a couple of Water Stones and a Leaf Stone." He sighed, glancing at the letter from his father. "But my vacation is being cut short, so I guess I'll have to come back if I get some more time…"

"That sucks," Edith replied sympathetically. She had a sudden flash of regret for bringing him the letter so quickly.

They soon reached the cave entrance. Outside, Steven released what looked like a giant metal bird that screeched and preened in excitement about being out of its pokeball. Steven turned to Edith, pulling a TM out of his bag.

"Thanks for bringing me that letter; here's something in return for you." Edith took the proffered TM gratefully. "It's Steel Wing; something that Skarmory can prove is not a bad move." The bird pokemon arched its neck haughtily. "Also," Steven removed a Pokenav from his belt. "Shall we register one another in our Pokenavs?"

Edith got out her Pokenav and they exchanged numbers. Steven then climbed carefully aboard the Skarmory, and with a last wave, flew off into the rapidly darkening evening. Edith headed to the Pokemon Center, getting in later than most trainers, and shared the leftovers from her dinner with Mr. Briney with her pokemon before turning in for the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing in the Pokeverse belongs to me!

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 5

Edith woke early the next morning, correctly guessing that Mr. Briney was an early riser. Feeling too sleepy to eat, she got snacks from the Pokemon Center and packed them away for a more reasonable time. She met Mr. Briney in his garden with Peeko; he was tending to his garden, watering can and pruning shears in hand. He waved cheerfully to her as she approached.

"Good morning, lass! What brings you out here so early today? Have you finally found Steven?"

She pushed open the gate to his garden, grabbing an extra watering can and going to work as well. "I did find Steven! I met him out in Granite Cave and delivered the letter. He didn't seem too pleased at whatever news was in it, though…" she finished, more to herself.

Mr. Briney seemed not to notice this last statement. "So you delivered the letter; did you defeat the gym leader as well?" Edith nodded, very carefully pruning an oran berry plant. "Well, are you ready to head on to Slateport, then? It's a bit longer of a trip, I'll warn you," She straightened, adjusting her gloves and pushing hair out of her face.

"I'm ready when you are! Since you're the one nice enough to ferry me around like this, I don't mind any long trips." She followed him as he brought his gardening tools inside and instead grabbed a few necessary items for their travel.

"Well then," he gave a last scan of the house before heading outside and locking the door. "Shall we be off, then? Peeko, we're setting sail, my darling!" he called. Peeko came quickly from where she had been perched on the roof, alighting on his shoulder and chirping in expectation.

They reached the docks quickly, meeting only a few other people in the rapidly brightening morning. As before, they prepared the ship and, working together, set sail for Slateport.

Once they had gotten a fair distance from Dewford, Edith released her pokemon and set out the food she had bought at the Pokemon Center that morning. They dug in to the various pokesnacks, and Edith contented herself with a sandwich. She sat down between Grumpy and Sableye, still feeling slightly nervous next to the rather forbidding-looking pokemon. Even in full sunlight, the blind, jeweled eyes were somewhat eerie, and his lanky form hunched over his breakfast seemed positively devious. Then, as Edith watched, he very stealthily reached out and snagged a piece of Glade's food without the other pokemon noticing.

Edith's eyebrows shot into her hair. So shocked she was by his sneaky steal, she completely forgot about Sableye's appearance. "Did you…did you just do what I think you did?" she asked incredulously. Sableye looked at her conspiratorially, popping the ill-gotten food in his mouth with relish and sticking his tongue out at her. She couldn't help but laugh in surprise and make sure Glade got enough to eat. "You are so sly!" she half chastised her pokemon, in the same moment realizing it was the perfect nickname. "You are definitely a 'Sly,'" Edith told him. She was going to say more when Grumpy suddenly bumped against her arm and a stinging sensation shot through her.

A glance down confirmed the rapidly blistering flesh caused by the Shroomish's toxic skin. 'Of all the effects it could cause…' Edith thought to herself, reigning in panic. She walked as calmly as she could to her backpack and removed an antidote, which she sprayed liberally over her forearm. Still driving, Mr. Briney didn't notice anything, but as Edith anxiously waited for the antidote to take effect, she wondered where the nearest hospital was.

By this time her pokemon had abandoned her food and were gathered around, watching with concern. Grumpy, looking extremely apologetic, was straining to see. Finally, the pain in her arm subsided, the skin seemed to be less irritated, and Edith let out a shaky breath in relief. The pokemon surged forward, eager to give support, except for Grumpy, who hung back miserably.

Using her bandana, Edith bound the rather unsightly area on her arm and then addressed the pokemon, hoping to assuage Grumpy's fears. "I'm okay; I got poison on my arm but it's okay now." She looked seriously at Grumpy. "This isn't uncommon, so I'm not too worried. I didn't realize it would be as bad as it was," she laughed a little nervously at this, "but a simple antidote fixed it right up so it's no problem. Okay?" Even Grumpy seemed to accept this explanation, and they eagerly tucked in to the small dessert she set out for them.

Deciding she was all right for now, Edith suddenly remembered her promise to Brendan to call him later. Realizing she had an ample amount of time what with the long boat ride, she got her Pokenav and moved towards the back of the boat. There were three long rings, a click, then,

"…'lo?"

"Oh crap, I forgot how early it is! Did I wake you up?" There was a long sigh on the other end, followed by rustling and a stifled yawn.

"No." A pause. "Well, maybe. But I should be getting up anyway to train and stuff." This was followed by more rustling.

"Oh," Edith replied, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "So, um, what are you up to? I mean, today, after you wake up. And stuff." She smacked her forehead in annoyance at her sudden lack of communication skills.

Brendan, thankfully, didn't seem to notice what to her was a glaring sentence failure. "Well, since Mr. Briney isn't back yet I'm training in Petalburg Woods. Oh yea! I beat Roxanne yesterday afternoon; I was her last challenger of the day! Mr. Leaf did really well against her pokemon; it was awesome!"

"That's great, Brendan!" she said excitedly. "But who's Mr. Leaf?"

He laughed nervously. "That would be my Treecko. Well, now he's a Grovyle. But I figured Leaf was, like, his grass type and all, and the 'Mr.' gives him credibility, you know?" Edith chuckled at the explanation. "So what are you doing now?"

"Right now I am on Mr. Briney's boat, and we are heading to Slateport so I can deliver the last of my Devon packages and get back to my training. I defeated Brawly's gym, too," she added.

"Maaan! You're really far ahead," Brendan exclaimed, impressed. "I hope I can catch up to you."

Edith coughed. "I hope you can, too," she replied seriously. "Anyway," she added with a laugh, "you have to catch up to me so I can take _you_ to lunch!"

"Right," he replied. "I'll do that, then. See you soon!" he added mysteriously.

"Talk to you later," Edith said before hanging up, grinning. Glade came up behind her.

'Was that Brendan?'

"Yea," Edith replied, "I just wanted to see how he was doing and…" she stopped mid-sentence and turned to face her pokemon. "Did you just…?"

'Oh, hey, you can understand me now?'

Edith cheered and did a little jump. "I can understand you! We can talk all we want now!" she cried, grabbing Glade's forepaws and dancing around. "That means I still got it! Soon I'll be able to talk with the whole team!" She skipped around the boat, pulling Glade behind her. She ran to tell Mr. Briney her new discovery, and spent the next few hours in deep conversation with her pokemon, Glade acting as partial translator.

They were in the middle of the story behind Pecha's love of, well, pecha berries, when Mr. Briney called Edith to his side.

"You see that, lass?" He pointed to a huge ship half-submerged near the trainer path-markers at the edge of the route. "If you get the time, you should try exploring that abandoned ship. In my day it was new and still being used, but there was an accident and it was shipwrecked over there. Now I hear it's full of interesting stuff."

Edith nodded, studying the dilapidated vessel. "I will. Thanks for the advice!" They talked for a while longer before Edith excused herself, suddenly feeling exhausted.

She used another bandana from her bag to reign in her hair, which was now completely at the mercy of the wind, then lay down on her bag to rest. Her bandaged arm twinged, and she hoped they would reach Slateport soon.

The next thing she knew, Glade was shaking her awake.

'Wake up, wake up, we're almost there and Mr. Briney wants your help,' Glade repeated until Edith had woken up enough to respond. She scrambled up, returned her pokemon, and assisted Mr. Briney in docking the boat again.

Standing on the shore in the waning afternoon sun, they said their goodbyes.

"I think I'll stay the night here, maybe pick up a few things, then get back to my regular transportation services tomorrow. If you need anything, lass, feel free to give me a call!"

Edith hugged him impulsively. "Thanks so much for helping me out, Mr. Briney!"

He patted her back in a grandfatherly way. "Well, Peeko and I thank _you_! See you around, my dear!" With that he headed back towards his boat, finally extracting a sign that read, "Ferry to Dewford/Rustboro - 100."

Smiling, Edith set off across the sand. There were sunbathers everywhere, along with surfers, kids with inner tubes, and of course, trainers. She accepted all challenges, making short work of her opponents with Grumpy and Waltz. The atmosphere here was much more busy and exciting than Dewford; despite having fabulous beaches and a pokemon gym, the residents of the little island town were significantly more relaxed.

At length she reached a lone shack on the beach, advertising cool drinks and hot battles. There were several disappointed trainers sitting glumly outside sipping sodas. Before she could ask anything, however, she was grabbed unceremoniously by the arm and dragged inside.

It was much cooler out of the sun, and as Edith took stock of her surroundings she was vaguely aware of a voice attached to the arm that was directing her saying something like, "And heeeeere's our next contestant! Let's give her a big round of applause as she starts her SEASHORE HOUSE CHALLENGE!"

There wasn't much of a crowd inside to provide the big round of applause, but the few people that were standing stepped aside or squeezed in next to the onlookers gathered at tables around the room to reveal a tiny kid wearing an inner tube and holding a pokeball.

"Oh, hello," Edith said automatically. "Are we supposed to be battling?"

The kid released the pokemon with a cry of "Marill, go!"

Edith released Grumpy, and the battle began.

Minutes later, the battle was over, and everyone inside was looking at Edith in blatant surprise. There was a pause, and the restaurant erupted in cheers. The little kid looked devastated. Edith, still wondering what sort of challenge she was now involved in, was hustled to the next "station", where she battled a woman with only one pokemon. She noticed that the trainers she had seen outside had come in and were watching the battles with some anticipation.

Finally, it was time for the third and, as she learned, final battle. She faced off against a sailor, using Waltz for his part-poison Tentacools. When she defeated him the crowd, even more massive by this time, cheered and surged around her, asking for her name, her autograph, or just trying to give her a friendly slap on the back. A round-faced, cheerful man pushed through the mass of people to shake her hand.

"Congratulations! You defeated the Seashore House Challenge!" he began. "It happens maybe once a day, even though we have many trainers attempt it, so you're the lucky one today! Here's your prize: a 6-pack of soda pop!" He shoved said prize into her hands.

"Oh, thank you," Edith replied, hanging tightly on to her prize as the crowd carried her outside. The pain in her arm returned, and she chatted briefly with some of the people outside before making her escape.

She continued up the beach, and the sand gave way to beautifully-laid stone. She had ended up in an outdoor market of sorts, filled with shouting shopkeepers selling all manner of goods from their colorful stands, and customers wandering to and fro with their purchases hanging from an arm. A very nice man tried to sell her some pokedolls, but, having nowhere to put them, she had to decline. He did give her directions to the Pokemon Center, though, and before long she was able to reach it and heal her pokemon. When they were safely returned she managed to pull a nurse aside.

"Um, earlier I was poisoned by my Shroomish…" she began, uncovering the irritated skin on her arm. The nurse clicked her teeth in motherly annoyance.

"How long ago was it?" she asked, getting some supplies from a cabinet nearby.

"Maybe four or five hours ago?" Edith replied.

"And you didn't put anything on it, did you?" the nurse asked, not expecting an answer. "You see," she continued, "most people don't realize this, but even using an antidote intended for pokemon is enough to clear up poison symptoms from practically everyone. It's extremely rare for a person to use an antidote and still require more serious medical attention." By this point she was carefully washing Edith's arm with a strange-smelling soap. "Of course, it's possible, and there have been a few documented cases like that little boy in Johto, although I guess he really wasn't—" she trailed off as she focused on bandaging Edith's arm. "But that's a long story, and you're probably too young to really remember when all that happened," she finished, patting Edith's knee and standing up. Edith stood too, suddenly cold.

"You should be fine now; I cleaned off all of the poison and put some extra antidote salve on it, so if you just leave that on until maybe tomorrow morning, then wash it well, you shouldn't have any trouble."

"Thanks," Edith replied. Her arm did feel much better. Still, she left quickly, eager to find Captain Stern and get the Devon goods delivered.

Outside, she headed down the main drag in search of the shipyard. She passed what looked like a museum, and was surprised to see a crowd of identically dressed people. Upon further inspection, she noticed the unique striped design of the Team Aqua uniforms. Feeling almost sick, she pushed further into the crowd of passerby, nearly running away from the scene. Fortunately, she soon came upon the shipyard and ran into the building as if chased, stopping just inside the door and calming herself.

At a nearby table, a burly man looked up from his plan & specs sheet and headed towards her, tucking a pencil behind his ear. "Can I help you, miss?"

Edith jumped, then dug in her bag. "I came to deliver some Devon goods to Captain Stern…" She held out the package.

The burly man laughed. "Sorry, I'm just a lowly worker here. The name's Dock. The Captain's gone off somewhere, so you're better off going to look for him and deliver those goods."

Edith almost screamed in frustration. "Since he works here, can't I just leave them for him…?" she asked pleadingly.

"Hmm…" Dock muttered. "Well, the captain doesn't like for anyone to handle his personal items except for himself. So…you'd better go deliver that to him in person."

"Well, do you know where he went?" she replied, barely holding back a rude comment.

"Ah, no, he just went out. Sorry!" He moved to return to his work.

Edith saw red. "Thank you," she muttered through gritted teeth before stalking out.

Asking random people on the street about the captain's whereabouts didn't seem promising, although Edith was nearly ready to resort to it. She headed north, away from the beach, and was surprised to see that the horde of Aqua members surrounding the museum had disappeared. Annoyed with the feeling of curious righteousness that took hold of her, she still went into the museum, paying the fee and surreptitiously looking around. The museum was now filled with the Aqua members that had congregated outside.

As she walked further into the room, she noticed on man who was watching her with something like fear in his eyes. When she met his gaze, he jumped and ran over to her, already spilling apologies.

"I'm so sorry I was hoping to never meet you again I promise it won't happen again just here, take this and leave me alone, please," he babbled, holding out a TM while Edith stared at him in confusion.

After a second it dawned on her: "Oh! You're the guy from Petalburg Woods. _And_ Rusturf Tunnel…" she exclaimed.

"Yes!" he replied, nearly sobbing. "Don't hurt me! Just take this and I'll leave!"

No sooner had she accepted the disc that he ran from the museum, causing a few of the Aqua members nearby to look at Edith with concern. She avoided their stares, instead pretending to be interested in the exhibits. Despite the extremely disconcerting presence of members of a known criminal organization, nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on, so Edith headed to the back of the room and ascended to the second floor.

There was only a single man up here, and he fortunately wasn't sporting the Aqua uniform. When he turned at her approach, Edith noticed that he was wearing a badge that labeled him as "CAPT. STERN."

"Oh, this is great!" she exclaimed. Captain Stern smiled politely. "I have the goods from Devon for you!"

"You must be Edith!" he said, recognizing her. "Mr. Stone told me you were coming. Thank you so much!" He took the proffered goods from her. "Hmm…I feel like I should give you something in return for coming all the way out here…" he slapped his pockets.

"No, no, that's alright…" Edith began, but was interrupted by two men noisily entering the room. She noticed their Aqua uniforms and cursed under her breath.

"Dropping off the Devon goods, finally?" one of them leered at her.

"Yea, we've been following this guy around all day waiting for you to show up," the other one added, gesturing rudely to Captain Stern.

"Anyway, hand over the parts and we'll leave quietly," the first one continued. "Wouldn't want to anger the boss of Team Aqua, now would we?"

Edith frowned and extracted a pokeball from her belt. "That's definitely not going to happen." The grunt also produced a pokeball and released an evil-looking, extremely spiky fish.

"Carvanha, use Leer!" the grunt commanded.

"Okay, Grumpy, let's start off with Bullet Seed!" Edith instructed her pokemon. The Shroomish released a stream of seeds, catching the Carvanha full in the face and weakening him considerably. "Excellent; use that again!" Edith instructed.

"Carvanha, use Rage this time!" the grunt began. His pokemon grimaced terribly and let out an enraged snarl, knocking into Grumpy and pushing her back. Fortunately, this put him in even closer range of the Bullet Seed, and he fainted promptly. The grunt howled his frustration and recalled his pokemon. "I can't believe a kid beat me! The Boss will be so furious!"

The other grunt shoved him aside. "You sniveling wimp! Let me take care of this!" He released his first pokemon, a Zubat.

"No freakin' way," Edith muttered to herself. To her pokemon, she said, "Try using Tackle!" Grumpy attempted to launch itself at its opponent when it flew close enough, but missed. The Zubat flit about nervously, managing to use Astonish and Confuse Ray effectively. Edith recalled her reeling Shroomish and sent out Waltz.

Before Edith could even give any directions, the Zubat had darted forward and bitten Waltz twice, leaving delicate wounds and leeching out life slowly. Waltz, fortunately, reacted instinctively and used Confusion, which knocked the Zubat out immediately.

The Aqua grunt's next pokemon was another Carvanha, so Edith again switched to Grumpy. "You know what to do!"

Grumpy responded with a blast of seeds at Carvanha, who responded with a leer. She glowered at her opponent and responded with another round of seeds. The Carvanha attempted a leer, but simply rolled its eyes and fainted.

_Alright, the pokemon are taken care of, now what do I do about these assholes?_ Edith thought to herself, recalling Grumpy. The defeated men looked warily at her.

"We can't leave without these parts," one of them began menacingly.

There was a sound in the doorway, and a bearded man came striding in. He also wore the Aqua bandana, but carried himself quite differently than his grunts, who shrank in his presence.

"What's taking so long?" he demanded imperiously. "I merely sent you two idiots to retrieve some parts, and from a child and an old man at that!" At this he spared Edith and Captain Stern a glance. "I am Team Aqua's leader, Archie," he announced. Edith simply glared at him. "Why are you interfering with us, little girl?" He peered more closely at her. "You're not…one of Team Magma, are you? How could you be; you're not wearing their uniform."

Edith felt a headache rising at the mention of yet another likely criminal organization. Archie prepared himself for a monologue.

"We, Team Aqua, are dedicated to the sea. We wish to expand it. You must understand, what we are doing is a wonderful thing. Water gives life to everything on the planet, so naturally we wish to preserve and nurture it. Even our questionable deeds now are done for a noble purpose." Edith's expression did not change, and he sighed. "But you are clearly too young to understand this goal. Still, your determination is admirable. We will leave you unharmed for now, but do not interfere with our plans again." He then turned sharply on his heel and glided out of the room. His goons took a bit longer to react, but soon followed him out, nearly falling over each other in their haste.

Captain Stern turned to Edith, who was holding back several choice parting words to the leader of Team Aqua. "I'm glad that worked out as well as it did," he said seriously. "Thank you for protecting me," he added. Edith shook her head. "I know that was a tense moment, but now that I have the Devon goods we can push on with our development right away! So, I really should be going, but please feel free to look around here now that Team Aqua is gone!" He heartily shook Edith's hand and left with the package.

Suddenly drained, Edith noticed the display case that Stern had been examining when she came in: it was a model of the S.S. Anne. She closed her eyes, seeing the ship full-size in her memory, filled with trainers itching for battle, colorful banners whipping about in the wind, white-gloved attendants checking tickets and giving directions… A soft sigh escaped her lips, and she suddenly felt very far away from home.

_It's not like I haven't been all by myself in a new region before_, she chastised herself, heading for the door. _Then again, I didn't expect to have to deal with some evil crime organization like this ever again…_

Lost in thought, she didn't notice the familiar man approach her until he suddenly stopped in front of her and stared.

"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" He mused aloud, peering at her in the twilight. Realization dawned on his face. "Oh yea! You're Edie, that girl from the Pokemon School in Rustboro!"

"Oh, hi," Edith replied, shaking his hand, glad for the cover of nightfall.

Fortunately, he didn't pester her about her semblance to anyone else. "Say, are you all the way out here this quickly? Did you really defeat the first two gyms in just a few days?"

She nodded sheepishly.

"That's amazing! And you were telling me you weren't a good trainer. Listen, if you keep this up, I might have a proposition for you," he added, nudging her shoulder.

"Right, thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she replied noncommittally.

"Anyway," he continued, "I just saw Team Aqua beating a trail outta here," Edith grimaced. "Oh, did you have something to do with that? Amazing!" He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Listen, why don't we exchange Pokenav numbers now, whadya say?" They did so. "I'd love to stay and really see how your journey pans out, but I've got other trainers to check out, ya know?" He clapped her on the shoulder. "See you around, Edie!"

"Um…bye!" Edith called to his departing back, making a face at him. "This guy is on my case no matter where I go!" she complained to herself. Her stomach growled, reminding her what a long time it had been since she ate. "Oh, crap, I wonder if the pokemon are okay," she muttered, and set off for the Pokemon Center.

They ate together in the dining hall. Glade emerged from his pokeball with a sarcastic, 'Were you trying to kill us?' earning him a glare from his trainer.

"For such a big town, I don't think there's a gym here," Edith remarked as they ate.

Grumpy sighed. 'And I wanted to fight some more…'

Pecha snorted. 'Well, yea, you're so angry.' Grumpy rounded on him, puffing with rage.

'You wanna make something of it?' she demanded angrily.

'See what I mean?' Pecha replied, unfazed.

'Hm,' Grumpy said to herself, sitting back. 'I guess you're right.'

Edith smiled to herself and set out some more food for the group. From further down the table she suddenly caught an interesting bit of conversation.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear something about a Battle Tent?" she asked politely, interrupting their conversation.

"Oh yea," the much younger trainer replied. "This town doesn't have a gym, but it has a Battle Tent where you can battle other trainers for points and items and stuff."

"That sounds awesome!" Edith exclaimed.

"Yea, but you can't use your own pokemon," the other trainer piped up. "They have a collection of level 30 pokemon, and you get to pick three. Then, if you win, you can swap your pokemon with one of your opponent's pokemon. I'm not very good at strategy, though, so I always lose…" His friend nodded sadly in agreement.

"Hey, thanks for your help," Edith replied, returning to her pokemon.

'So we can't even fight at the Battle Tent?' Grumpy said in annoyance.

'Doesn't look that way,' Glade replied sadly.

"Sorry, guys, I didn't know how it was set up. But I still kinda wanna try it…" Edith said.

'Oh well, more of a break for us,' Pecha said, trying to cheer up his teammates.

They retired for the night after dinner, having decided to challenge the Battle Tent the next day. Lying in bed with her pokemon settling in around her, Edith's thoughts returned to the face-off against Team Aqua earlier.

As if sensing her thoughts, Sly asked, 'Why were those Aqua guys bothering you earlier?'

Edith shifted in bed. "They wanted to steal some ship parts from Captain Stern. They said they were interested in the ocean, so I guess that makes sense, but no matter how noble they say their cause is, doing something like that…"

'Yea,' Sly agreed, his jeweled eyes gleaming eerily in the dim light. His teeth flashed when he spoke. 'I'm afraid that if whatever they're doing isn't stopped soon, it could be very bad for everyone.'

One by one the pokemon drifted asleep, and Edith tried to focus on the Battle Tent, eventually falling asleep and dreaming of black-suited maniacs dragging a great winged pokemon to the earth.


	6. Chapter 6

Pokemon is not a thing that I own

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 6

They took a leisurely breakfast the next morning, and Edith looked forward to heading to the Battle Tent. She got directions at the Pokemon Center front desk, then set out.

The Battle Tent was vaguely shaped like a tent, made of pinkish rounded metal and sporting huge yellow beams that gave it the distinct half-spherical shape. There was corny music piped into the surrounding area, along with festive streamers and flags strung up with colorful, carved poles depicting various scenes of pokemon battles. Inside, there were a few trainers milling around, chatting or looking intently at what appeared to be rankings listed on the wall. Edith headed for an official-looking man standing in between the two counters.

"Are you interested in taking the Battle Tent challenge?" he asked as she walked up.

"Um, yea, I think so," she replied.

The attendant turned to a computer next to him and pulled up a screen with pokeballs on it and indicated for her to look at a screen depicting the same image on the counter. "You can choose three of the pokemon listed here, but keep in mind that the order you choose them is the order in your team roster.

While she checked the stats and abilities of the potential pokemon, the man continued to tap away at his computer. Finally, she looked up expectantly.

"Have you decided?" he asked, pulling up a new screen.

"Yes; I think I'd like to take Numel, Seviper, and Plusle," she replied, the names unknown to her sounding strange.

He clicked around energetically for a moment. "And your name and title?"

"Title? Oh…" Edith thought back. She had always avoided Scott's battle tents, towers, mountains, or what-have-you, but she knew that competitors could choose some sort of title to describe themselves, or even use it to intimidate their opponent. "Hmm…I guess I'll be…" she trailed off, but was hit by a sudden flash of inspiration. "I'll be Firebreather Edie."

"Okay…" the man hit a key with a definite sort of flair. "Okay, so your first battle takes place at 11:45, and if you win we will schedule another battle then."

"What?" Edith cried, disappointed. "That's three hours from now!"

"I'm sorry, miss; many people signed up yesterday and were scheduled for this morning. We can only have so many battles going on at once," he said apologetically. Then he was already turning to the next customer.

Grumbling in frustration, Edith headed back outside aimlessly. Her thoughts jumped to Mr. Briney, who was surely on his way home by now. This reminded her of Brendan, waiting for Mr. Briney to ferry him across the sea…she smiled to herself, and didn't realize where her wanderings had taken her until she nearly slammed into a sign outside a squat house with a gaudy green roof.

"Pokemon Fan Club, huh?" she said, striding inside with some interest. It was comfortable and homey inside, with plenty of trainer and pokemon-friendly comforts. A Zigzagoon bounded over to greet her as she moved further into the large room, and she gave him a generous ear-scratching while she examined the other occupants, most of whom were milling around, chatting and playing with their pokemon.

There was a table with nametags and markers in one corner, so she made one up for herself and set out across the room. Abruptly, a woman sporting a camera on one shoulder thrust a microphone in her face.

"Excuse me…Edie?" the woman peered at her nametag. Edith noticed that the camerawoman had no nametag. "Rita Rally, Pokemon Live. I can see that you've come to the Pokemon Fan Club in Slateport because you really love pokemon. Could you spare a few minutes to give Channel 9 an exclusive interview?"

"Oh, um, sure," Edith replied slowly. No sooner had she spoken that Rita hit the record button and whipped out a pad and pencil.

"So, Edie, can you tell us what your lead pokemon is at the moment?" Rita began, all smiles.

Edith fumbled at her belt. "It's my Shroomish, Grumpy."

Rita gave a simpering smile. "That's just an ADORABLE name!" she gushed. "So tell me, what is it about Shroomish that attracted you?"

"Hmm…probably her attitude? She's just angry all the time," Edith said with a laugh.

Rita laughed too loudly in response. "Of course, of course. Okay, next question. What do pokemon mean to you?"

Edith stopped herself short of rolling her eyes. How could such a complicated question be answered in a matter of seconds, especially in a conversation with someone she didn't even know? "I guess…to me…they're friends?" she offered.

"I see!" Rita replied with an exaggerated nod. "Thank you so much for your time!" She snapped the camera off with a click. "Be sure to check on TV to see if your interview airs!" Then she was gone, already hunting another trainer to harass.

Feeling annoyed at the worthless interview, Edith released Glade on a whim. At least Glade could keep her company, and maybe help to strike up a conversation with the other people in the room, who appeared to be more concerned with a person's pokemon than the actual person. As if on cue, a woman practically ran over to them, followed by a Skitty that was mewing plaintively.

"Is this your Marshstomp?" she asked, reaching out to stroke Glade's headfin.

"Yea, this is Glade," Edith replied.

'I could get used to this,' Glade told Edith as the woman continued to pet him.

The woman's Skitty continued to meow and beg for her trainer's attention, so Edith squatted down and held out a hand, which the pokemon tentatively sniffed. "Your Skitty is really cute," she said, gently scratching the tiny pokemon behind the ears. Glade, obviously jealous, came over quickly.

'Hey, hey, spread the love around!'

"Okay, okay, I'll get you, too," Edith said, giving his fin a good rub.

The woman clasped her hands together in delight. "Oh, what an angelic sight!" she exclaimed. "You simply must have this." She extracted a shell bell from her purse and handed it to Edith. While Edith was admiring it and thanking the woman, a man in an official-looking hat came over to the pair.

He cleared his throat, getting their attention. "I'm the chairman of the Pokemon Fan Club," he began importantly. "I have successfully raised many pokemon. Let me tell you about Pokemon Contests. You can show off your well-trained pokemon! Unfortunately, they are held far away, so I can't participate very often, which is why I made this Pokemon Fan Club, of which I am chairman, to show off our glorious pokemon!" He looked at Glade for a moment. "You have a battle-worthy pokemon here, but I would much rather see a pokemon bred for contests…" he said disdainfully.

Edith blinked. "Well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." They chatted for a bit longer, but when Glade began to get impatient and started saying semi-rude things that only Edith could understand, she had to hurry them out.

'They were so _boring_!' Glade complained as they left.

"Well, yes they were, but I was learning about contests!" Edith retorted. "Don't you wanna be in a contest and be all pretty?" she teased. Glade snorted.

They headed into the outdoor market again, and Edith took stock of anything she might need more of. Since she had been able to eat in Pokemon Centers for most of her meals, she only had to get a few extra prepackaged snacks. After taking care of that chore, she was ready for her favorite pastime: window-shopping.

A man wearing a huge hat that completely obscured his eyes waved her over. "Do you know the TM Secret Power?" he asked conspiratorially.

"Well, yea," she answered, glancing around in case she needed to make a quick escape.

"Members of my organization, we love that TM. One of my cohorts will give it to you, if you can find him. If you show me a pokemon that knows it, I can sell you super-secret merchandise."

"Oh, okay, thanks." She continued on, admiring huge baskets of flowers and stands of fresh seafood, among the plethora of goods on display.

She and Glade reached the stuffed pokedoll shop from before, and once again Edith was taken with the cute plush toys.

Glade groaned. 'What is this stuff?'

"They're stuffed toys," Edith replied distractedly, shifting through the mountains of adorable dolls. "Look at this one; isn't he adorable?" She held up an Azurill doll, the huge tail as large as the pokemon's body. The shopkeeper was at her side in an instant.

"Will you take that doll, my dear?" he asked, prepared to ring it up.

Edith looked longingly at the doll. "I really want to, but I don't have anywhere to store it," she said sadly, moving to put it back.

The shopkeeper chuckled. "If that's the only thing stopping you from getting it, don't worry! We can send it to your personal PC and you can access it anytime you like!"

'Oh no!' Glade shook his head.

"That's great!" Edith handed the doll to the shopkeeper to ring it up. "If that's the case, I'll take it!" The Azurill was packaged nicely and set aside to be delivered to her PC later.

Having satisfied her consumer desires, Edith wandered among the shops, followed by Glade, who never missed an opportunity to point out particularly delicious-looking snacks. Of these, Edith purchased several, putting them away for later enjoyment, much to Glade's disappointment. At length they made their way back to the Battle Tent with a few minutes to spare till the scheduled battle time.

Glade safely back in his pokeball, Edith apprehensively turned over her pokemon to the battle coordinator and received her three rented pokemon. The coordinator explained the rules again, then led Edith through a winding corridor to Battle Room B45. Edith couldn't help but feel nervous; she had always turned down Scott's urgings to challenge the Battle Tower in Kanto and so had no experience with them. Sure, she had seen plenty of news coverage on TV and had heard Red's stories during their all too infrequent visits, but she had no personal experience to go on.

_Still,_ she thought to herself, _I'm a champion. I didn't get there by _not_ knowing how to battle, so I should be fine!_

She hummed a little under her breath, using her anxious impressions of the place to create its theme song. The battle coordinator directed her into the room at the same time her opponent entered and a bell chimed somewhere.

"Now presenting, Firebreather Edie versus Cooltrainer Rebecca!"

Edith's first pokemon out was the Numel, set against Rebecca's Goldeen.

"Whoops!" Edith muttered, returning Numel and sending out Plusle instead. Goldeen began with Horn Attack, catching Plusle in the stomach and knocking him down. "Okay, Plusle, use Spark!" Edith directed. He responded quickly, zapping the Goldeen thoroughly and knocking it out.

Rebecca's next pokemon was a Pelipper. Already having her Pokedex out to check her pokemon's moves, Edith almost groaned in sympathy when she saw Pelipper's information.

"Spark again, Plusle!" The Pelipper didn't even have time to react. As a water-flying type, it immediately fainted.

The next pokemon out was a Kadabra. Rebecca instructed him to use Disable, and the Kadabra began to glow, its held spoons twisting maniacally. Plusle tried to use Spark, but his cheek pads only fizzled.

Edith switched tactics. "Use Quick Attack this time!" Plusle darted forward, faster even than the Kadabra, and knocked him down.

"Kadabra, use Reflect!" Rebecca commanded. His spoons glowed again, creating a protective wall around him. When he did this, Edith noticed that Plusle's cheek pads were beginning to crackle.

"Plusle, he's too distracted to disable you! Use Spark!" Plusle did so, zapping the Kadabra and leaving him in a smoking heap.

"Cooltrainer Rebecca is out of useable pokemon!" the coordinator announced. Edith cheered, surprised and pleased with her win. She was led out of the room, and her pokemon were healed. "Would you like to switch any of your pokemon with your opponent's?" The attendant laid out her pokeballs and those of Rebecca's.

"Hmmm…" Edith reviewed the battle. Clearly, Plusle was a keeper. She hadn't really gotten to see Numel or Seviper in action, but were any of Rebecca's pokemon better bets than them? Goldeen and Pelipper held no attraction for her, but maybe Kadabra…but she had only seen him use Disable and Reflect, so it was possible that he could be a non-attacking pokemon. "I think I'll stick with the pokemon I have," she said at last.

The attendant nodded and returned the pokeballs to her, then tapped on a nearby computer before leading Edith off to another battle room. Edith hummed more confidently this time, earning a strange look from the coordinator.

They went upstairs and stopped at Battle Room C03. As before, she was let inside as the other trainer entered, and they were announced.

"Now presenting, Firebreather Edie and NinjaBoy Dwane!"

Edith sent out Numel again, while Dwane sent out some curious green and beige pokemon that looked vaguely like a fighting type.

"Numel, use…um…earthquake!" she began, frantically looking up the other pokemon in her Pokedex. When its entry came up, she groaned at her mistake.

The ground rumbled impressively from Numel's attack, but the other pokemon hardly noticed.

"Breloom, Tackle!" Dwane instructed. The pokemon jumped forward, tackling Numel to the ground. Numel rolled for a minute, hindered by his round back, but finally managed to roll onto his feet with a puff of steam from the tiny volcano in his hump.

"This time, use Ember!" Edith called, feeling slightly embarrassed at her earlier attempt to take out a grass type with a ground attack.

Breloom was already whipping his tail around for what Edith thought would be a powerful attack. Instead, a cloud of yellowish spores issued from his tail and floated over to Numel. Some were burned by the Ember attack, but most of them settled purposefully over Numel's head and back, paralyzing him. Still, Breloom staggered back from the fire attack.

"Can you try to get one more Ember in?" Edith called to Numel, who very slowly turned his head to nod at her. While he struggled to get the attack off, Breloom tackled him to the ground, then used Absorb. Finally, Numel unleashed a spray of embers, striking Breloom and knocking him out.

Dwane sent out a Kecleon, quickly identified by Edith's Pokedex this time to avoid further mistakes. She recalled Numel and replaced him with Seviper.

"Kecleon, use Lick to paralyze him!" Dwane began. The Kecleon's tongue shot out, ridiculously long and surprisingly fast, slapping Seviper across the face and leaving behind a disgusting sticky goo.

"Poison Tail!" Edith called. Seviper whipped around, smacking the Kecleon's feet out from under it with his poisonous tail. Type advantage or not, it was a powerful attack. Edith was surprised to see that Kecleon's display in her Pokedex had now changed to poison type. "Okay, so we shouldn't use Poison Tail again, but Seviper only has…" She sighed. "Use Wrap!"

The Kecleon used Lick again, this time managing to paralyze part of Seviper's tail. Fortunately for Edith, he simply shed the affected skin, then slithered around Kecleon, tightening his hold. As she had guessed, Kecleon's type changed back to normal at the use of the normal move.

"Release him and use Poison Tail again!" As soon as the Kecleon was free of Wrap it used Faint Attack, but could not stop Seviper's second powerful Poison Tail. To Edith's dismay, the Kecleon pulled an Iapappa berry from somewhere and crunched on it, regaining health, then used Faint Attack again. Unfortunately, Seviper had to switch to Wrap again to counter the Kecleon's type change, but finally was able to defeat it with another powerful sweep of Poison Tail.

Dwane sent out his third and final pokemon, a stuck-up bug type called Volbeat. Edith could see that Seviper was hurting from Kecleon's Faint Attacks, but she wanted to push the powerful Poison Tail move as far as she could.

Volbeat moved first, darting forward with a whir of wings and using Quick Attack. Seviper managed to catch him while he was on the ground with Poison Tail, but was knocked out by Volbeat's next Tackle.

Edith sent out Plusle and called for Spark. The Volbeat paused, shocked, before responding with Confuse Ray, a fantastic display of moving lights that left even the trainers feeling a little silly in the head. Plusle spun crazily, slapped himself in the face, and sat down. The Volbeat used Confuse Ray again, but Plusle didn't even notice from his position laying on the floor, moving his head in circles.

"Plusle, listen to me! Can you use Spark one more time?" Edith called, trying to snap Plusle out of his confusion. He looked lazily over and seemed to be giving her a thumbs up. The pads on his cheeks emitted sparks of electricity that lashed out in all directions. "Wait, wait!" Edith screamed. "You have to aim at the Volbeat! Shock the Volbeat!" she amended, hoping that Plusle wouldn't simply shock everyone in the room. Somehow through his haze he must have understood, though, because, despite laying on the floor, he managed to send a direct bolt over to Volbeat, knocking him out. Edith cheered and recalled Plusle so the coordinator could heal her pokemon.

Once again, she had the option to switch one of her pokemon with her opponent's, but she couldn't bring herself to part with the teammates she had grown fond of, despite only having used them in two battles.

The next battle room was two floors down in a long hallway. Edith stood awkwardly with the coordinator in the waiting room while the battle to decide who would challenge her came to a close. Finally, she was ushered into the room, humming to herself. There was an elderly man waiting for her, looking rather pompous.

"Now presenting Firebreather Edie and Gentleman Shaun!" the announcer said.

Shaun released a curious clay-like pokemon identified as a Baltoy. Edith again released Numel. Before she could decide how to deal with this new pokemon, the Baltoy used Selfdestruct, taking out himself and Numel, much to Edith's shock.

"What the hell?" she cried, staring open-mouthed at the Gentleman. "Selfdestruct is a desperation move for the end of a battle, not a competition starter!" Still shaking her head at his complete lack of concern, she released Plusle as Shaun sent out Kadabra.

Plusle began with Spark, managing to paralyze Kadabra right off the bat. Unfortunately, Kadabra's Synchronize ability immediately paralyzed Plusle as well. Still, the Kadabra was worse off, as Plusle used Spark again, ignoring his own paralysis and knocking his opponent out.

Shaun did not look too pleased with this development, but sent out his last pokemon, another electric type called Electrike. "Use Flash on the whelp!" Shaun commanded his pokemon, giving Edith a disdainful look. Electrike concentrated, but only managed to produce a meager spark that failed to blind anybody.

"Quick Attack, Plusle!" Edith realized that it would be worthless to use ineffectual electric attacks on the pokemon, and settled in for a long, slow battle.

The pokemon traded attacks, Plusle using Quick Attack and Electrike using a combination of Bite and failing Flashes. Shaun at one point even instructed his pokemon to use Spark, which did all of nothing to Plusle. Finally, he called for Roar, dragging out Seviper. Electrike hit Seviper with Spark, but Seviper's Poison Tail was enough to destroy his remaining HP, and Edith was declared the winner of the Battle Tent challenge.

Shaun sniffed. "Yes, well, you're quite something, aren't you," he acknowledged before leaving.

Edith was directed back to the lobby to receive her prizes.

"Well done!" a desk attendant said, shaking her hand. The few trainers milling around in the lobby crowded around and clapped appreciatively. "If you'll just return the rental pokemon, we will give you yours back, along with this certificate and complimentary Full Heal!" Everyone clapped again while Edith read the certificate, then carefully slipped it into her wallet along with her trainer card.

"Awesome, thank you so much," Edith said, shaking a few peoples' hands and answering onlookers' questions about her battles. Eventually she made her way outside.

_A full heal?_ she thought, mildly annoyed. Her stomach grumbled in agreement, and a glance at her watch confirmed why. _They should have just gotten me something for lunch_. she thought wistfully. Aware that her pokemon were also probably hungry, she set off for a pokemon restaurant she had seen earlier in her wanderings.

The Krabby Shack was fairly crowded with people and their pokemon taking a late lunch. Edith was led to a nice large table by a window, where she released her pokemon who were more than happy to eat something other than Pokemon Center cafeteria food and the canned mush that Edith carried with her. They chatted while they waited for their food, and Edith recounted her experience at the Battle Tent. As usual, Waltz had stationed herself as close to possible to Edith, and would occasionally lay a hand on her arm, as if to confirm that her trainer was still there. Sly and Grumpy seemed to get along well, despite their two very different attitudes, and Glade was helping Edith to keep Pecha occupied by feeding him berries.

The food arrived soon after and the conversation slowed somewhat, but Edith had a question for Waltz.

"I noticed that you've been kind of quiet lately," she remarked to the psychic pokemon in between bites. "I think I'm getting pretty good at understanding everybody else, but you talk so little that I still don't know how well I understand you," she continued. Waltz blushed slightly and finished chewing.

_I…was practicing_, she replied psychically. Edith coughed, nearly spitting up her food.

"You know human language?"

_I wanted to learn,_ Waltz replied carefully. _I think it sounds neat._ She then repeated this for the benefit of the other pokemon, who were not privy to the psychic comments and were looking on with confusion.

"That's amazing!" Edith said at last, looking in awe at her pokemon. "I know it's possible for psychic pokemon to speak human language, since they don't have to use their mouths to produce the sounds, but I didn't know you could pick it up so quickly!" Her other pokemon chimed in their agreement.

Pleased that she could communicate more or less effectively with all of her pokemon now, Edith resumed the conversation from before, and they finished their lunch soon after.

Having taken care of everything she had come to do in Slateport, and having exhausted any other possibilities of the town, Edith decided that she could move on to the next leg of the trip. Her Pokenav indicated a route to the north of the town which she headed for, excited about getting back to her original plans.


	7. Chapter 7

I own nothing but Pokemerch.

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 7

Despite the fact that she had left mid-afternoon, Edith made good time on the route leaving Slateport. Immediately north of town she found a good spot to train and catch new pokemon where she spent quite a bit of time. After leaving there she came across the entrance to the overhead bike path, a massive concrete snake that wound somewhere far in the distance. Not having a bike, she had to settle for the much longer footpath below.

As she continued her hike, the sun sank below the horizon and she began to look for a good place to camp. The path was quite wide; she had been following it on the right side, where she thought she could hear waves through the trees. Unfortunately, the trees grew so closely together that she couldn't pick her way through, and she ended up simply pitching her collapsible tent as close to the trees as possible and trying to ignore the lack of a place to wash.

She had a fire going soon after, and was cooking up some vaguely meaty thing that came from one of her packed cans. While that heated up she provided her pokemon with some generic pokefood and a few slices of berry, then set up a small water trough.

'I can't believe I miss Pokemon Center food,' grumped Glade, still scarfing down everything put before him.

"You know, I think you've become more sarcastic since evolving," Edith replied calmly.

'Yea…' Glade agreed, sounding entirely unapologetic.

Once the food was cooked, Edith ladled out some for each of her pokemon, used to the idea that she would have to eat less to make up for traveling with an almost-full team. She noticed with a quickly hidden grin that Grumpy had given Sly some of her berry slices in return for more pokefood and that Pecha had eaten all of his berry slices first, leaving most of his pokefood behind, and immediately curled up to go to sleep. His leftovers were quickly divided among the still-awake pokemon. Waltz still sat closest to Edith, leaning against her trainer's side once she had finished eating.

_Aren't you still hungry?_ Waltz asked curiously, stifling a yawn.

"A little," Edith said truthfully. "But since you guys are the ones doing all the fighting while we travel, it's more important for you to eat well. Plus, I'll soon adjust to the new diet."

'Will we ever run out of food?' Grumpy asked curiously.

Edith laughed. "That has happened to me before. I was once stuck in a cave with an extremely surly friend. We had pretty much one can of food between the two of us and it took us a day and a half to get out of the cave."

Sly looked utterly terrified. 'And you were _all right_ with that?'

"Yea! Well, we had to feed our pokemon. Being a trainer is kind of like being a parent, because if something goes wrong you have to protect your pokemon first. It's usually your fault, anyway," She coughed, suddenly teary-eyed, and began to clean up the empty dishes. "Anyway, I think it's time for bed," she said softly. "You guys can stay up if you like, but you should probably get to sleep soon. You're welcome to sleep in the tent or out." And with that, she disappeared into her tent, changed into her nightclothes, and lay down in her bedroll. Waltz came in a few minutes later and gingerly snuggled in beside her.

_I know why you're sad_, she said gently.

Edith nodded, staring at the ceiling. "That's your special power, isn't it? Sensing peoples' emotions…"

_Yes. It happened a long time ago, didn't it?_ she continued, laying her head on Edith's shoulder.

"It doesn't seem so long for me," Edith whispered, still staring unblinkingly at the canvas above her.

ooooo

She must have drifted off at some point, because when Edith awoke the next morning it was to Pecha sniffing heedlessly in every corner of the tent for some breakfast. Laughing, she shooed him out and got dressed, then collapsed and packed the tent. Her pokemon were in various stages of awareness outside; Pecha had resorted to pawing at Edith's backpack and howling pitifully, Glade was still dozing, and Grumpy and Sly appeared to be deep in conversation. Waltz stretched daintily and helped Edith prepare breakfast: more berries and some pokebread.

They had just broke camp and Edith was recalling her pokemon and putting on her backpack when a familiar face rounded a stand of trees ahead.

"Professor?" she called in surprise.

He looked over. "Oh, Edie! Fancy meeting you here!" He looked around curiously. "Brendan isn't here?"

Edith shook her head in embarrassment. "No, we're traveling separately."

"Oh." He fumbled in his pocket for his Pokenav. "He told me that you got a Pokenav with Matchcall, so I figured you guys had met up somewhere. Anyway, I know you probably have my number already, but why don't you give me yours just in case I need to contact you?"

"Sure," she replied, keying in her number for him.

"Good, good," he said when she was done. "That way I can help you out if you need anything. And listen," his voice lowered as if he feared someone would overhear them. "keep an eye out for Brendan, okay?" He looked earnestly at Edith. "I'm his dad, so I don't know how much he'll tell me about what's going on, but you're his friend, so…"

"Right," Edith said helpfully

The professor looked relieved. "Thanks, Edie. You're a good girl." He patted her shoulder in a fatherly way. "Is Slateport off this way?" He pointed off the way she had come.

"Yes. You can probably get there by…" she glanced at the sun and recalled how long she had walked the day before. "After lunch."

"Oh, good to know. I suppose I'll be seeing you around, then!" he strode off with a wave.

Edith waved and said goodbye, then headed off in the opposite direction. Two hours of uneventful walking later, she encountered her first trainers. They challenged her to a double battle despite looking as if they had just woken up, and Edith used Grumpy and Waltz to defeat them. Unfortunately, this excitement was short-lived, as she spent the next 3 hours walking through silent and unoccupied terrain.

She eventually reached a large fork in the path, where she decided to stop for lunch. They had essentially the same thing they ate for dinner, much to her pokemon's dismay. Edith reclined on the grass while her pokemon finished their food. It was bright and hot enough to make for sweaty walking, but the occasional cool breeze was enough.

"Oh, today is hot," she remarked to herself, then sat up and began to braid her hair, finally trapping the whole unwashed mess under her bandana. She then pulled out her Pokenav and checked its map. The left fork, ostensibly a dead end, led to a freshwater lake, while the right fork was a long, winding path that eventually led to the next town. Unfortunately, the right fork seemed to be a land bridge that crossed seawater, and Edith needed to find a place to replenish her resources and, more importantly, have a proper bath. "I think I have decided what we are going to do after lunch," she announced to her pokemon, who were divided between playing and lounging.

'Whatever could it be?' Sly asked in a semi-facetious tone. Edith raised an eyebrow at him and Grumpy snickered.

"We are going to take the left fork," she pointed vaguely behind her, "and camp at the lake, then swing back through here in the morning and continue on to Mauville."

'Lake?' Glade said, perking up.

"Yea," Edith replied. "We can have a nice swim." _And a good scrubbing,_ she added to herself.

'But aren't we going out of our way?' Grumpy complained. 'Why not just go straight on to Mauville?'

'We get to go for a swim!' Glade retorted, as if it were obvious.

Pecha opened one eye from his nap, curled in the sun. 'Couldn't we swim in the sea, too?'

_We need the fresh water so that we don't run out of clean water to drink_, Waltz stated, beating Edith to it.

Grumpy sat back. 'Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense.'

Several minutes later they were packed and off again, Edith once again wandering through empty grassland. Finally they began to encounter trainers, which made the pokemon happy to be out of their pokeballs, and Edith happy to see other living beings in the otherwise empty expanse. The closer they got to the lake, the more frequent the trainers were, but the more it kept them from reaching the lakeside.

Thus, it was significantly later than Edith had originally planned when they reached a suitable campsite near the lake and set about getting dinner. Pecha discovered a cluster of new berries nearby, which everyone was grateful for. Edith prepared some for dinner, then packaged and stored extra for later use. The pokemon lounged about after dinner, properly tired from the battles earlier. Edith grabbed her shower gear and a change of clothes and headed to the lake.

The difficult thing about bathing on the road was the complete lack of privacy. Fortunately, Edith had a cape-like towel which wrapped around her from her shoulders to her knees, which she donned, using it to cover her while she undressed. Then, leaving her things on the shore, she waded into the water with her floating soap dish. As the sun had just set and the moon had yet to come out, Edith bathed in a curious half-darkness, trying to be quick to both get back to camp soon and avoid any wild pokemon that might be lurking in the lake.

Clean and refreshed, Edith rejoined her pokemon at their campsite. There were still a few necessary things to take care of, but she set them aside for the morning in favor of sleep, advising the pokemon to wait till the morning to swim. As the night was clear and Edith was already exhausted, she simply unrolled her sleeping bag and drifted off by the fireside.

ooooo

She woke the next morning to the rising sun and, realizing her pokemon were still asleep, took her sweet time getting up. Assessing her resources, she grabbed a pile of dirty laundry and her water containers and headed back to the lake, drawing some water which she set to boil on the fire, then beginning to wash her clothes.

As the water boiled, she washed her clothes and hung them up to dry on the nearby branches she could reach, periodically pausing to pour the purified water into travel containers and add more to be boiled. By the time her pokemon had all woken up, she had her laundry strung up in a ghostly fashion all around the camp and drinkable water ready for breakfast and for storage.

They headed off to swim, and Edith started on breakfast. The day was already heating up, making everything humid and shimmery. Edith sang as she cooked, an epic power ballad to capture the nature of the route and her extreme joy to be out in the elements, taking care of herself and her pokemon.

The pokemon returned right on time, as Edith was setting out what she had prepared. Glade was first, dripping and breathing heavily from his energetic swimming. He shook himself off, soaking Edith, then set about devouring his breakfast. Grumpy and Sly came next. Both looked quite dry, but Edith noticed that Sly left wet footprints, despite not disturbing the grass with his ethereal body. Pecha and Waltz were last; Pecha was in a similar state to Glade, and Waltz was rightfully keeping her distance, thus avoiding the shower of drops from Pecha's enthusiastic shaking.

They ate quickly, and Edith washed and packed her utensils before checking on her clothes. Fortunately, they had fully dried in the bright sun, so by mid-morning the group was back on the road.

Sadly, all the trainers Edith had beat the day before were now quite unwilling to challenge her a second time, so the walk was relatively uneventful. She was just beginning to give a thought to lunch when she noticed a lone house set back from the trail, slightly hidden by spindly trees. There was a sign outside, so she headed closer to take a look.

It was called the "TRICK HOUSE", and the sign bore very strange and obvious directions to the front door (which was visible from the sign). Still, as it was clearly more than just a person's home, Edith felt comfortable heading inside to check it out. She noticed that the windows and door were shaped like…anything but rectangles, and that the doormat read, "Go Away." There was an elaborate doorknocker shaped like a question mark, and the doorknob was an oversized iron nose.

The interior was simply a large room with some simple furnishings and a curtained doorway on the other side. It appeared to be empty, but Edith had the distinct sensation of being watched. Removing her shoes, she stepped up onto the wooden floor and went to inspect the low table in the center of the room, pulling away the floor cushions with apprehensive excitement.

A chubby, balding man peered up at her in surprise from under the table, and Edith shrieked.

"Ah, wait, wait!" The man scrambled to get out from under the table, extending a hand to keep her from fleeing. "How did you find me?"

"_What_?" Edith demanded in surprise. "How did I find you? What were you doing hiding in the first place?"

The man pulled himself up to his full height, chest puffed with pride. "I am the greatest master of deception in all of Hoenn! They call me…" he paused dramatically, "the TRICK MASTER!" He shook her hand heartily. "I assume you've come to challenge my Trick House, right?" Without giving her a chance to respond, he barreled on, "Of course you have! All the best trainers do! Very well, I accept your challenge! Enter through this scroll," he gestured to the curtained doorway on the near wall, "and begin! I shall be waiting in the back!" With that, the Trick Master disappeared through the curtain, leaving a very confused Edith.

_Should I go in?_ she wondered, feeling vaguely unnerved. She did love challenges, especially puzzles, so with a defeated shrug approached the scroll and began her Trick House challenge.

The room beyond the curtain was rather warehouse-like, and the plywood fashioned into walls looked as if it had been repositioned and reused countless times. Edith turned and followed the path, and soon ran into a trainer. She defeated the other girl's Oddish easily with Waltz, but got no information as to what exactly she was doing. Behind the girl she discovered a doorway blocked by a thorny shrub. Pecha's Cut made quick work of said shrub, and they were soon into the next small room, which contained two more shrub doorways. Taking the one on the left, they walked into…a completely empty room.

"Oh please," Edith muttered with annoyance, turning back and hacking through the next doorway. They moved in this way through several more rooms and hallways, all dead ends. Fortunately, Pecha's excellent nose kept them from taking the same path twice and Edith had drawn a simple map on a napkin she found in her bag, so they at last encountered another trainer who, upon being beaten, showed Edith a tiny scroll. She read it, immediately and unconsciously crumpling it at seeing the stupid phrase. "The secret code for this challenge is…'TRICK MASTER is fabulous'…?" She tossed the scroll on the ground and headed off with Pecha for where she suspected the exit was.

After many more cut bushes and a trainer battle, Edith reached the exit and wrote the secret code on the door. A lock clicked somewhere and she pushed the door open, entering an even more sparsely furnished back room. The Trick Master was sitting at the only table, relaxing on a cushion and sipping tea. He jumped in surprise when she came in.

"You made it all the way to me? Already?" he squawked, clearly disappointed. "You're sharp! It took me all night to plant those trees…" Edith simply stared at him. "Ah well, you've earned the reward…" He dug in a box at the end of the table, pulling out a Rare Candy and presenting it to Edith.

She grinned and pocketed it, unable to hide her self-satisfied smirk. "Thanks, Trick Master."

He frowned reproachfully at her. "Don't think you've beaten me yet! I still have more tricks up my sleeve! Come back later for another challenge!" And with that, he disappeared.

Edith remained, staring at the spot he had just been standing in. Gathering herself, she glanced around the room, noticing a messily made doorway opening into a dim tunnel. Guessing that it was the exit for normal, non-disappearing folk, she headed down it, somehow making it back to the entrance room through the same curtained door she had entered the maze through.

Slightly creeped out, Edith grabbed her shoes and headed outside, yelping when she realized that somehow the sun had set while she had been in the Trick House. The unsettling feeling increased, and she ran until the Trick House was out of sight before lighting a huge, comforting fire and releasing her pokemon, recounting the story to them. They were annoyed at having to miss lunch, naturally, but were pacified easily enough by extra helpings of dinner. Edith, feeling too strange to eat much, went to sleep early.

ooooo

She woke up early the next morning and started walking as soon as she could. The massive bike path loomed overhead, and as the day progressed the sounds of traffic increased. The route below meandered casually near the bike path, surrounded by seawater lapping against the steep, rocky sides. Someone had taken the time to put up a fence along both sides, a safety precaution that Edith appreciated, considering the many dangerous situations present in a typical pokemon trainer's journey.

Strangely enough, she encountered not a single trainer the whole day, and instead focused on training Pecha, who she guiltily realized hadn't seen much action lately, and adding to her Pokedex. Of the four pokemon she had encountered so far, three were electric types. However, the Plusle and Minun she had captured appeared to be completely incapable of working apart, so she sent them, along with the slimy and rather odorous Gulpin, off to the Pokemon Center and kept her Electrike, a four-legged, mint green creature with a large protrusion extending off the back of her head.

The Electrike had sat calmly with the group during lunch, getting along well with Glade and Pecha. She was now riding in her pokeball with Edith, resting up after the battle for her capture as Edith trained Pecha.

The day was drawing to a close, and Edith was looking for a nice spot to camp out in when she noticed a figure ahead of her on the path. Eager for some human companionship, she pressed on a little further, hoping to overtake the person and maybe get a battle in before complete nightfall. The closer she got, the more she was convinced that the person ahead was very familiar. Finally, mostly convinced that she knew who she was following, she called out, "Brendan! Hey! Is that you?"

Sure enough, Brendan turned at her voice, looking extremely surprised to see her. "Edie? What are you doing all the way back there?" He readjusted his curious white hat and called to Mr. Leaf, who was rooting around in some nearby bushes in an attempt to scare out a Plusle. There was a tiny spark, an indignant growl from Mr. Leaf, and then he was by his master's side, rubbing his shoulder morosely.

"'All the way back here'?" she asked in confusion. "I'm traveling, I guess…Well, what are you doing all the way up there?"

Brendan laughed. "I mean, after I made it to Slateport I headed right up here; I figured you had done the same so you would be long gone by now." He stepped closer to Edith, looking about as tired out and dusty as her. "But since you're here…" A pokeball appeared in his hand. "You wanna battle?" He moved even closer, somehow looking dangerously innocent, and murmured, "I even have a special prize for you if you beat me."

Edith coughed delicately, electrified by his proximity, and grabbed a pokeball of her own. Trying to match his flirtatiousness, she masked her surprise with what she hoped was a mysteriously sultry grin and replied, "Let's do this. I'll start with…Glade!"

The Marshstomp appeared between them, looking fresh and ready to fight, considering the relaxing day he had had. Brendan sent out his own pokemon, a vaguely oozing shape that radiated heat, warming Edith's face despite the distance between them.

"Slugma, start with Yawn!" Brendan commanded.

The Slugma yawned impressively, making even the two trainers feel relaxed and drowsy. Edith, however, had Glade shut down Brendan's setup with a Water Gun that took out his Slugma instantly. His next pokemon was Mr. Leaf, so she replaced Glade with Sly, who looked excited to be in battle again.

Brendan switched tactics. Mr. Leaf began a relentless string of Pursuits designed to put his opponent on the defensive and prevent any retaliation. Fortunately, being Ghost _and_ Dark type wasn't affected as strongly as another pokemon might have been.

"Keep moving! Use Scratch!" Edith instructed. Sly's thin, lithe body allowed him to avoid many of the attacks with ease. With his tongue hanging out of his open mouth like a Poochyena, he dodged and danced his way around the attacks, managing to scratch Mr. Leaf seriously on his chest and face. After a few tense minutes of trading attacks they stopped, locked together at the shoulder, both struggling against and supported by the other.

A flash of inspiration came to Edith. "Sly! Go invisible and then attack!"

He did so, flickering out of sight for an instant, in which the Grovyle fell through the now-empty space. Too tired to react quickly enough, he lay surprised on the ground, and Sly took the opportunity to cuff him across the head, ending the battle.

"Damn!" Brendan said appreciatively, recalling his starter with a rueful smile. "Well, I'm down to my last guy…" He released Wingull.

Edith recalled Sly, replacing him with Waltz. She yawned and stretched delicately. While she was still sizing up the Wingull, it gave a squawk and dove down to tackle her to the ground. As it flew away, Waltz clambered to her feet and growled in annoyance. The Wingull flinched, but turned to attack again. As it drew nearer, Waltz used Confusion before throwing herself to the side, narrowly avoiding a fierce peck. Wingull braked, flapping wildly to keep from plowing beak-first into the ground. Waltz continued her mental attack, causing the Wingull to reel and stagger before it took to the air again.

"Attack from the air!" Brendan called, evidently nervous.

Wingull let out a jet of water, interrupting Waltz as she rallied another wave of Confusion. They glared at each other, Waltz pummeled into the ground with the stream of water, and Wingull flapping erratically as Waltz harried his mind.

Finally, Wingull spun in a tight circle and fluttered to the ground. Waltz did not get up either. Both trainers ran to their respective pokemon, murmuring comforting words. Edith administered a potion and helped Waltz sit up. They both set about wiping the mud and grass from her. Brendan revived Wingull and gave her a potion as well. When Wingull was safely back in her pokeball to rest, Brendan straightened up and approached Edith, pressing some coins into her hand.

"Thanks. Good match," she said cheerfully, allowing him to tug her to her feet. The sun was sinking slowly below the horizon, leaving an oozing darkness in its wake. Edith dug a flashlight out of her bag, then impulsively held it under her chin to make a grotesque face at Brendan. His resulting expression sent them into a fit of giggles, and they were soon gasping for air and holding each other's shoulders.

Not long after, the sun had disappeared, and they were making camp by lamplight. Having released their pokemon to relax, Brendan's Slugma was also helping to build a fire. Edith was pulling cooking utensils out of her bag when Waltz thought loudly,

_No tent tonight?_

"No," she replied without thinking, "I'm just going to rough it under the stars."

"Hmm?" Brendan asked, looking up from arranging his sleeping bag. "Who are you talking to?"

Edith started. "It's...I'm talking to Waltz." Brendan looked incredulously at the diminutive pokemon. "She's a psychic type," Edith explained.

"So you can understand your pokemon talking?" Brendan's jaw hovered somewhere near his shoulders. "That's incredible! I've seen studies about trainer-pokemon relationships and methods of communication, but I've never met anyone in person who could do it! Some people cobble together a sort of pidgin language, others resort to gestures coupled with linked commands, still others have been know to-" he cut himself off abruptly, looking sheepishly at Edith. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get off on a nerd tangent."

"Oh, it's no problem!" she replied enthusiastically. "I love nerd tangents. You seem really interested in your research. I'd like to hear more."

Brendan grinned and focused on setting out his pokemon's food bowls to hide a blush. "Well, as you know my dad is a professor, so he spends a lot of time working in his lab. I used to follow him around just to see the pokemon he was working with, but when I became old enough to help, he had me bring him materials, or take notes, or enter data into a program, just a lot of grunt work, really. Oh, thank you."

Edith had taken his food cans and deftly opened them, upending their contents into her cookpot balanced precariously over the fire. She then stirred in some simple spices and slices of hardier berries.

"You're really good at cooking!" he exclaimed. "I usually just heat up whatever's in the can. Sometimes I don't even heat it up..." he coughed self-consciously, but Edith only laughed.

"I used to be that way myself, but eventually I realized that if I was going to be eating campfire meals every night, I should probably find some variety in it so I wouldn't go stir-crazy." She stirred the pot slowly, suddenly lost in the memory of a twiggy little girl crouched over a bubbling pot of plain beans while her pokemon grumbled beside her.

This revelation did not escape Brendan. "Campfire meals every night? Is that when you were back in Kanto?"

Edith stirred from her reverie. "Oh, um, I used to go camping with my parents a lot. My mom is an outdoorsy type." She hated lying to Brendan, but he at least didn't pick up on her obvious hedging.

"Tell me more about your life before you moved to Hoenn," he prompted. The firelight played across his face, at once youthful innocence and mature handsomeness. Edith resisted the urge to pinch his cheek.

"Well, my dad used to run a karate dojo for pokemon and trainers alike. He let me come in and watch, and when I was old enough to take instructions he let me train with the youngest fighters and their pokemon. We spent most of our time doing chores. And pushups." Brendan chuckled, and she continued, "I pretty much grew up among the dojo students, and we were so busy that I never started my pokemon journey." She hurried past that part to: "Then my dad decided he wanted to be a gym leader in a proper tournament circuit, so he applied for a position and was offered one here in Hoenn. I figured it might be a good chance to get a start for myself as well."

"Well, you seem to be doing just fine to me," Brendan informed her. "After all, you keep winning! You obviously have a very good relationship with your pokemon."

At this, Sly leaned towards the cookpot, sniffing experimentally at the meal. "It's nearly done," Edith told him. To Brendan, she said, "I suppose I should give you the formal introductions, eh?" She began ladling soup into bowls, a far more effective summon than calling out to her roaming pokemon. As they approached, she named them.

"You must remember my first pokemon, Glade. He evolved into Marshstomp during my battle with Roxanne."

Glade nodded at Brendan, more interested in balancing his bowl on his forepaws. 'Hello there.'

"This is Pecha, who I think your father would remember. He was chasing him around for the berries in his pockets."

Pecha grinned stupidly, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Brendan laughed. "I remember you! He made you out to be much more menacing, though." Pecha's resulting laugh sounded like a wheezing giggle.

"This sneaky fellow is Sly, who I met in Granite Cave." Sly grinned, revealing double rows of pointed teeth.

'How do you do?' He took two bowls and brought one to Grumpy, who immediately began eating in the curious way of those who don't have arms. She did not look up when Edith introduced her:

"This is the aptly-nicknamed Grumpy. She has quite the personality. And you've already met Waltz." Waltz nodded, and Brendan felt a tentative brush across his mind that made him blink. "Last, but not least, is the newest addition, an Electrike met on this very route! I call her Zippy."

Zippy barked and settled down next to Pecha. Edith smiled fondly at her pokemon, eating heartily. Brendan was struck by how much it reminded him of a family.

"I should introduce my pokemon as well! You remember Mr. Leaf, of course."

"Congratulations on evolving into Grovyle!" Edith told him diplomatically.

"And then there's Wingull, who's been with me since Petalburg, and Slugma, who used to be a resident of my father's lab! She was getting bored helping him heat up stuff, so he sent her along to me."

Slugma blinked at Edith, gently bubbling. "And yet here she is lighting your cookfire!"

Sometime later, after the dishes had been cleaned and put away, Edith found herself lounging next to Brendan, looking into the glowing remains of the fire. It was late, and they had dragged their sleeping bags together to better continue their hushed conversation about childhood, pokemon, and everything else under the sun. Or in this case, moon.

Brendan relaxed back into his pillow, gave it a few good punches to mold it into something more comfortable, and sighed at the stars. Beside him, Edith also lay down, feeling deliciously warm in the face.

_You should go for it._ suddenly flitted across her mind. Moving only her eyes, she looked at Waltz, still visible across the fire. Around her were the indistinct shadows of the other pokemon, all obviously sleeping, save for Sly. He was resting against Grumpy, eyes eerily reflecting the dying embers.

_...Thanks. But, stay out of my head._ Edith replied gently.

There was no response. Edith took the advice, and inched her hand towards Brendan's. He looked over at her, grinned, and gave her hand a squeeze. They lay in companionable silence, gazing into the endless glittering sky and anchored to each other.


	8. Chapter 8

I own nothing more than Pokemon games!

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 8

Edith rose with the sun the following morning, being accustomed to waking up early. Her first sight was the sun's rays creeping across Brendan's peaceful features, causing her stomach to do a little flip of delight. In response, Brendan threw his arm across his eyes, smacked his lips, and sank deeper into sleep. Fighting the impulse to run her fingers through his hair, Edith instead climbed out of her sleeping bag and began to quietly assemble a simple breakfast.

Sly appeared at her side, silent as a ghost, startling her and eliciting a choked yell. 'Good morning,' he said, reaching to help her peel some particularly thick-skinned berries for the pokemon's breakfast.

"Morning," she whispered back. "Did you sleep well?" she asked in lieu of chastising him for startling her.

'I don't really sleep', he responded, and turned those glassy, unseeing eyes on her solemnly. 'I rest. And prowl.'

"I see," Edith muttered, and repressed the urge to shudder. "I think today we will have some fruit for you guys and bread for the humans, what do you think?"

'Can I eat now?' asked Grumpy, waddling up beside Sly. Without waiting for an answer, she nabbed one of the berries and began to eat noisily. Sly quickly followed suit.

"Well, I suppose you can," Edith answered needlessly.

One by one, the other pokemon woke up and gathered to eat. The sun burned away the last of the mist and chill of the evening, and still Brendan snored on. Edith ate slowly, dressed slowly, performed her necessary morning ablutions slowly, and finally gave into the prompting to wake him.

She shook his shoulder gently and received no response. She tried again, with slightly more force, and still he didn't stir.

'You gotta really jump on him', said Glade, translating for Mr. Leaf.

Mr. Leaf demonstrated by doing just that, and after the second hop on Brendan's chest he awoke sputtering and shouting.

"Oh, good morning," he said blearily, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The eyes of everyone in the camp were collectively on him, and he blushed. "I'm not a morning person. Gimme a sec."

Edith politely ignored him while he washed and dressed, and packed up her things while he ate his bread. Finally he was ready, so they gathered their pokemon back into their pokeballs and continued along the route to Mauville City.

The day became increasingly hotter as they traveled, until the horizon was a shimmering glaze above the thick grass. Along the way they encountered trainers, which were dispatched with ease. It was easy to work with Brendan, and their pokemon made a wonderful team. Even better was the conversation as they walked, sometimes friendly silence, often animated stories about their childhoods, although Edith tried to keep the focus on Brendan so she wouldn't have to edit each of her stories. She hated lying to him, as she hated lying to everyone she met while traveling under a pseudonym, but her growing affection for him made it all the worse.

"So tell me about Hoenn itself!" she prompted, staving off more talk about her preteen years. "Where are we headed anyway? What's Mauville like?"

"Well, I've only been twice for some major events, once for shopping and the other to see the opening ceremony for the Game Center. The city is at the center of four major routes, so it gets a lot of traffic. Both times I came it was very busy, but there's lots of good shopping. It doesn't have much in the way of sightseeing, though." He kicked a rock along ahead of himself. "Soon we should come to the end of the route and reach the sea. It's not a sandy beach, but we will be able to actually approach the water!"

Edith perked up at that. She had been able to smell the water on the breeze for some time, but they had so far been unable to see it from where they walked. The path had narrowed, and they could just see the fences keeping unwary hikers from slipping down the cliff into the water, but they remained in the center for the greatest chance of encountering wild pokemon.

As the day wore on and the heat increased, they talked less, instead focusing on the sweaty hike and slight incline in the route. Sometime in the early afternoon, the fences along the route gave way to trees on one side and short grass on the other. Brendan headed towards the grass without hesitation, calling over his shoulder, "We can eat lunch near the water!"

Soon, Edith was cooling her legs in the gentle surf while Brendan set out cold cans of food. The pokemon, save Slugma and Grumpy, were also splashing around in the water. Edith padded back to Brendan, and they ate together in companionable silence.

"This is really nice. I'm glad I ran into you on the road," Edith mused, half to herself.

Brendan looked at her, opened his mouth as if to reply, then closed it and simply scooted closer. When Edith turned to look at him, their face were only inches apart. It seemed so natural to close the gap...

A cough nearby startled the pair, and they jumped apart to see their pokemon had returned from the water and were gathered, watching with some interest and not a little amusement. The cough had come from Glade, who had the good grace to look embarrassed at having interrupted them. Mr. Leaf and Sly were snickering hoarsely, and Grumpy was literally rolling around beside them in a fit of laughter.

"Oh dear," said Edith.

"That's awkward," agreed Brendan.

"Everyone back in their pokeballs!"

The pair was packed and on their way within minutes, now free to blush and stutter without an attentive animal audience. Not long after, they began to walk through the outskirts of Mauville, and the distraction served to relieve their embarrassment. As she looked curiously at the houses they passed, Brendan reached over and took Edith's hand.

A man sitting on the porch in front of his house called to them. "Are you two trainers? If you are, I have something that might be of use to you!" He waved them over.

As he rustled around in a bag under his folding chair, Edith took in his lackluster style: flip flops, cut off jeans and undershirt. Near his feet smoked an insect coil, the scent an immediate signifier of summer. An ancient TV flickered gray and grainy on a dilapidated table.

"Hey, Edie, isn't that you?" Brendan asked suddenly, interrupting the man as he found whatever he had been looking for in his bag.

On TV, Rita from Pokemon Live was in the middle of interviewing Edith. "..._She's just Grumpy_," said the electronic Edith, and the screen flickered.

"This is mortifying," moaned Edith. The man was grinning, however.

"Wow great! Y'all are real famous trainers! Well, I feel even better about giving you this, then! Go on, take it!" He handed them each a TM disc. "It's Rock Smash! You can use it to break up boulders. I used to do bodybuilding when I was a young'un, so it suits me real well."

"Thank you!" said Brendan, gratefully accepting the gift. Edith echoed him, and they left the man to his TV.

The houses became closer together, and the shops more prominent, marking the center of the city. "Shall I give you the tour?" Brendan offered. "As near as I can tell, the most important landmark they have is the Game Center."

"I'm not really into gambling," Edith replied, and Brendan nodded his agreement.

"Let's just head for the Pokemon Center, in that case."

The doors swished open invitingly, letting a blast of cool air out. Edith sighed audibly at the temperature, and they both went straight for the counter to have their pokemon healed. Brendan turned towards Edith, intending to say something dashing, and was interrupted by his Pokenav ringing. He frowned, and Edith laughed at his frustrated expression.

"Hello? Oh, hi Dad..." he wandered into a corner to hear better over the constant hum of trainers chatting. Today was particularly crowded, as they came inside to escape the heat. Brendan hung up after a few minutes and rejoined Edith. "My dad has some stuff he'd like me to pick up in this area. I'd really like to spend more time with you, but I think I'll have to leave you and take care of this." He was practically pouting.

"I understand! It's totally fine. I have a few things I need to do here in the Center before I go exploring the town anyway. And I know that you want to experience your own journey, right?" She grinned. "How about you take care of what you need to do, and give me a call tonight. We can catch up on our activities."

Brendan perked up visibly at this. "Great idea!" He kissed her quickly and dashed out the door.

ooooo

Alone, Edith headed for a free phone booth along the far wall of the room. She dug some change from her pocket and dialed a number, fingers typing out the familiar number without hesitation.

The phone rang, and rang, and rang, and finally Edith was prompted to leave a message.

"Hey, it's me. I'm calling from a Pokemon Center in Hoenn! I know it's been a while since we talked, and I miss you so much, but at least things aren't all bad. Professor Birch – he's the trainer coordinator here – agreed to give me a starter pokemon and use a fake trainer ID. I'm using the name you suggested, by the way. Ahh, there's a lot to tell, even though it hasn't been that long! My starting pokemon is a water-ground type called a Mudkip. I have a full party of pokemon now, and one of them is a psychic type called Ralts. She even learned how to project directly into my head! It reminds me of you; I'd love for you two to meet. I've made quick...friends...with Professor Birch's son Brendan; he's a year or so younger but very mature and, um. Handsome." The message timer light began to blink, so Edith quickly left her and her mother's Pokenav phone numbers before she was cut off.

Disappointed that she hadn't been able to make contact, Edith collected her pokeballs from the counter and stepped back into the sunshine. The woman behind the counter had recommended a bike store in town, so Edith headed there first to see about getting some wheels.

"Wooo-wee just look at those shoes! Have you been walking in the muddiest, dustiest routes you could find?" The manager Rydel laughed good-naturedly at the dirty state of Edith's running shoes, little more than a week old and yet already coated with an admirable layer of grime.

"I just walk a lot," replied Edith.

"Well, far be it for me to deny anyone a good set of wheels. Let's see what we have in stock for you!"

Soon after, Edith left the store one collapsible racing bike richer. Rydel had given her quite a deal, and she had agreed to advertise as much as possible for him in return. At the moment, however, the city was too crowded to navigate safely, so she settled for walking quickly and trying not to bump into too many people while looking at her map. After all, her running shoes were still perfectly serviceable!

Her next destination was the Pokemon Gym. Here, the crowd thinned as only trainers approached the building. She was just reading the sign (MAUVILLE CITY POKEMON GYM. LEADER" WATTSON. "The cheerfully electrifying man!") when she heard a familiar voice.

"Aww, Uncle, please? I want to challenge this gym and see how much better I've become! Please? May I, please?"

Edith turned towards the voice, but saw only a broad unfamiliar back facing someone near the gym door.

"Now hold on, Wally. Since you started living with pokemon, you have grown quite a lot stronger. But don't you think you're pushing it too suddenly to challenge a gym?"

Having heard a name to go with the voice, Edith edged around the man to confirm who he was talking to.

"I'm not pushing it. If I combine forces with Ralts, we can beat anyone!" At this point, Wally noticed Edith over his uncle's shoulder. "Oh, hi Edith!" He beelined for her, practically pushing past his uncle. "I've gotten a lot stronger since we met, Edie. I want you and my uncle to understand that. Will you please have a battle with me?"

He did look better, Edith agreed. His skin seemed less pale, and his voice was much stronger than it had been when they first met. "Of course I'll battle you, Wally!" she replied. Unfortunately for him, she knew exactly what pokemon he would use, and had her own answer to it.

"Okay, here I come! Let's go, Ralts!"

"You're up, Sly!"

The two pokemon appeared between the trainers, and the passerby moved back to make room for the battle. Wally's Ralts looked energetic; Edith could see where Wally's good mood had come from. Sly hissed and bared his teeth menacingly.

"Ralts, use Double Team!" Wally called, looking curiously at Sly. Ralts began to spin, faster and faster until Edith could no longer tell which was the real pokemon.

Sly appeared unfazed; although his eyes didn't appear to work in any conventional sense, his mysterious keen eye prevented him from losing track of his opponent. While the gathered crowd looked around unsuccessfully for the Ralts, Sly's head whipped back and forth following its movement.

"Use Nightshade!" Edith prompted, knowing that Sly would aim true. He squared his shoulders in concentration and extended his hands to where the Ralts must be. A mottled purple cloud appeared over one of the images of Ralts, and the other images immediately disappeared. The cloud rippled sickeningly, and emitted a high-pitched keening. When it shimmered away, Ralts was crumpled on the ground.

"Ahh! No! Ralts, are you okay?" Wally cried, running to his only pokemon. Ralts looked up at him, eyes glassy and unfocused, before returning to his pokeball.

"Sorry, Wally," Edith said awkwardly, recalling Sly. "I knew you had a psychic type, so I used my ghost-dark type to my advantage. A lot of times, that's the best strategy you can take into a battle."

Wally stood and handed Edith her winnings, obviously trying not to cry. Edith pointedly avoided noticing anything out of the ordinary. He turned sadly to his uncle. "I lost... Uncle, I'll go back to Verdanturf." He drew his shoulders up and forced a smile at Edith. "Edie, thank you. Being a trainer is tough, isn't it? It's not enough just to have pokemon and make them battle. That isn't what being a real trainer is about."

His uncle, obviously regretting his earlier words, tried to reassure Wally. "There's no need to be so down on yourself. Why, what's keeping you from becoming stronger and stronger? Come on, let's go home. Everyone's waiting for you." He put an arm around the boy Edith couldn't help but sigh at his eagerness to get Wally away from the gym. "Edie," he surprised her by turning suddenly. "It just dawned on me that you must be the trainer who kept an eye out for Wally when he caught his pokemon."

"Yes, I helped him catch his Ralts," she replied. Wally smiled at the memory.

"Listen, why don't you visit us in Verdanturf sometime? I'm sure Wally would enjoy it." his uncle continued.

Wally perked up at this. "Yes! Please do! I would love to show you around town and learn more about living with pokemon from you."

"I would be delighted to see your new home, Wally. Thank you for the invitation," she told them both politely. "And I look forward to seeing how your Ralts grows!"

Edith looked after the pair as they said their farewells and walked away. The crowd that had gathered to watch their battle had dispersed when Edith received her winnings, but a meaty hand suddenly clapped down on her shoulder.

She turned and looked into familiar black sunglasses.

"I was watching that match!" Scott the recruiter said jovially. He wiped his forehead with a floral handkerchief, then slapped his ample belly with glee. "You're friends with that boy Wally, aren't you? But you didn't hold anything back and beat him impressively. Yeah!" He laughed again with palpable delight. "That's what a real pokemon battle is all about. I idolize trainers like that!"

Edith laughed nervously, tugging her bandana farther over her forehead. "Well, that's certainly flattering. I just approach all battles the same way, even if they are with friends."

"Well, I'll be cheering for you from now on!" Scott assured her. "I always know an up-and-coming trainer when I see one!" He nodded at her before ambling away, scanning the crowd for any other potential pokemon stars.

Now alone, Edith approached the gym, only to find the doors locked. A sign above the knob read: CLOSED 5PM. She sighed. It seemed she would have to come back earlier if she wanted to get an opportunity to take on the gym leader. In defeat, she wandered aimlessly through the town, taking in the sights and sounds as the sun set and lights came on. Although it was crowded and entirely too busy, there didn't seem to be much to do aside from urban distractions. She wondered what Brendan was up to, and was stirred from that pleasant train of thought by a ringing in her pocket.

"Hey, Edie!" came Brendan's voice before she even had time to speak.

"Brendan! I was just thinking about you." She smiled to herself and ambled down a quieter street.

His chuckle made her stomach flip. "Were you? Good thoughts, I hope."

"Oh yes, nothing but the best for you," she replied. "What have you been up to today?"

"Well, I had to pick up a few specialty items from some smaller shops in the area and ship them to my dad. He also asked me to head to a new battle building north of Mauville, so I managed to hitch a ride up here and now I'm spending the night in a half-finished building. It's kind of eerie, but at least I have company." Edith could hear an affirmative chirp from Wingull in the background. "They need an official confirmation that the building venture won't disturb the local wildlife, but Dad didn't have time to come out here, so he's having me do some tests to send back to him."

"Wow! So official!" Edith exclaimed. "All I did today was wander around. Although I did have one battle; do you remember Wally from Petalburg?"

By the time they had finished talking, Edith was in a wonderful mood. She returned to the Pokemon Center and ate a late dinner in the cafeteria, then sat with some of the younger trainers while they watched a late news program. She was happy to dispense advice until most of them trickled off to bed, and she followed suit.

ooooo

The next day, her plan was simple. Scope out some of the trainers in the gym, maybe challenge Wattson himself. After breakfast, she headed back to where she had met Wally the previous day and took in the Mauville City gym. Like the rest of the buildings, it was loud and robust, with lots of lightning-shaped embellishments against the sleek gray stone.

Inside, it was incredibly bright, the plain walls reflecting the myriad colored lights decorating the strategically placed pillars in the room. Some blocked her path, but beyond she could see trainers battling, lit pink and yellow and blue from all directions. After a moment, she released Glade.

"As strange as it sounds, I think you are the best person for this job." Glade simply looked at her curiously. "Although you started out as a pure water type, since you evolved you also gained the ground type. In my experience, electric has very little effect on ground types, so you should be completely safe from any electric attacks. Even better, they may not know that, and will be lured into a false sense of security by your appearance!"

'How devious!' Glade agreed. 'I can take 'em!' They wandered among the pillars looking for a free trainer. Several times they found themselves stopped by a humming neon wall strung between two pillars, and had to backtrack to an alternate route. After the second time, when Edith was being less quiet about her frustration, they were accosted by a man in a ridiculous costume wielding and electric guitar.

"If you can beat me, I'll tell you how to pass all the electric walls to get to the leader!" The trainer released a Magnemite, shredding enthusiastically on his guitar at its appearance.

Edith motioned to Glade. "We are going to try this out," she told him quietly. "Use Mud Shot to knock it out of the air!" Glade nodded.

'Here goes nothing.'

While they had been talking, the Magnemite whipped up an impressive Sonic Boom, which spiraled towards Glade and exploded loudly. 'My ears,' complained Glade. He shook his head and summoned muddy water, which he then slapped up his opponent. The force of the mud knocked the Magnemite to the ground, where it sparked ineffectually against the mud now coating its entire body.

"Get up, little buddy!" cried the trainer, strumming frantically on his guitar. "Get back in the game!"

After a few moments it was evident that even the heartfelt shredding could not turn the tide of this particular battle, and the trainer gave Edith her winnings.

'Success!' Glade cried happily, doing a little dance.

"All right, you win. I'll show you the path to Wattson," said the trainer. He led the way over to a switchboard, cleverly concealed by a gaudy LED display depicting two Pikachu battling. Popping it open, he deftly flipped a few of the switches, and Edith watched the color inside the gym change from pink to blue to green as the electric walls reconfigured. "The path should be clear now!" he told her, and waved his guitar in farewell.

Edith followed the path laid out for her in glowing lights. Behind some of the electric walls, she could still see trainers battling; it seemed they were accustomed to the rearranging walls and had simply moved their activities elsewhere. As she walked, she noticed that the ambient lighting was dimming, while tiny pinpricks of light in the floor were getting brighter, urging her on towards a raised dais.

As she neared the dais, the lights suddenly rose, framing an white-haired man and his Voltorb dramatically. "Oh!" she exclaimed.

'That must be Wattson,' said Glade.

Wattson was quite an impressive figure; although he was white haired and gently rotund, his height and stance gave off an imposing demeanor. Upon seeing Edith and Glade, however, his wide face broke into a friendly grin. "Hello down there! Welcome to the Mauville City gym!" He stepped delicately off the dais, much more frail than Edith had expected. "I founded this town long ago, and when the Pokemon League moved in, I was one of the first trainers to apply for gym leadership! It's gone through many renovations since it was first a humble gymnasium for fellow electric trainers to practice."

"Well, it certainly has personality," Edith offered diplomatically. "And the electric walls were something completely new to me."

Wattson laughed. "Yes, yes, they were one of my better ideas, if I do say so myself. I'm impressed that you got past all of the switches without help!"

Glade and Edith exchanged a glance.

The gym leader continued, "If you're ready, we can begin our match! Although I must say that I'm surprised by your choice of pokemon!" He motioned for his Voltorb to move forward.

"I think you'll understand when you see my strategy!" Edith replied, and Glade leapt forward, not waiting for the prompt to use Mud Shot. The silty combination of mud and water whipped through the air, completely covering the Voltorb in a filthy mire. It blinked, eyes clearing away twin bright spots in the pile of mud, and sparked indignantly. Unfortunately, its electricity rebounded off the mud now coating its body and it shocked itself unconscious.

Wattson blinked incredulously at the spectacular K.O. "How...?" he said softly. "Very well, I retract my earlier statement!" He recalled Voltorb and replaced it with an Electrike, who growled menacingly at Glade. Glade responded in kind, startling trainer and pokemon alike. "It's immune to electric," Wattson informed his pokemon. "Get in and out of there with some quick attacks!"

The Electrike prepared to leap, but the slippery mud coating the ground caused it to lost traction as it jumped, and it didn't get very far. Seeing this, Edith called to Glade, "Use Water Gun to keep the ground wet and slippery, but don't dilute the mud too much or we might get zapped!"

Glade did so, shooting a stream of water at the Electrike's feet. The Electrike buzzed in annoyance, sending out waves of electricity that fizzled unimpressively as they came in contact with the mud. Glade followed the water up with more mud, which the Electrike barely managed to avoid by slipping and skidding out of the way. It turned its momentum towards Glade, and slid across the floor to tackle him. Glade also fell, and the pair went sliding gracelessly across the floor.

Edith choked back a laugh as they struggled to extricate themselves from each other and attack again. Electrike managed to regain its footing first, and launched itself and Glade right as he responded, still half-sitting, with another Mud Shot. The Electrike met the attack midair and was shot across the floor, where it landed and slid into a wall. Wattson bit back a curse.

"Well, young lady, your strategy is certainly effective. But we haven't gotten to the strongest pokemon in my arsenal!" He recalled Electrike and sent out a Magneton. It hummed, an unsettling electronic growl, and its 3 components flexed and shifted against each other. Because it used its magnetic powers to hover above the ground, it was completely unaffected by the mess Glade and Electrike had stirred up in the battle area.

"Glade, use Mud Shot to see if you can knock it out of the air!" Edith suggested.

"Magneton, Sonicboom!" Wattson countered. The Magneton was faster to respond, and whipped up a tiny cyclone that moved towards Glade, picking up mud and water as it advanced. When it got to Glade, it spun around him, thoroughly coating him.

'Oh, gross,' Glade complained, and shook himself, splattering everyone in mud.

"Aahhh, gross is right. Quit it, Glade!" Edith said, wiping mud from her shirt. "Knock it out of the air before it does that again!"

Now cleaner than he had been, Glade summoned more mud and directed it at the hovering Magneton. The spray hit it clear in the face, and it groaned loudly as the three components of its body stretched and briefly floated away from each other. When they magnetized and realigned properly, the Magneton drooped, hovering just above the ground, and looked beseechingly up at Wattson.

Wattson recalled his pokemon with concern. "I'm not giving up without a fight!" he warned Edith, and released a four legged canine-like pokemon. It was blue, with yellow fur accenting a large crest on the top of its head. It looked vaguely familiar, and Edith's Pokedex confirmed that it was Manectric, the evolution of Electrike.

"You know what to do, Glade!" she called. Glade responded by directing a stream of mud at the pokemon. It barely avoided the attack, and howled in response to pump itself up. Wattson tossed a berry into the battle area, which the Manectric snapped up before launching itself in a quick attack at Glade.

As the Manectric crashed Glade hard onto his back, Glade rebounded by pushing it away with limbs and another forceful jet of mud. When the two pokemon separated, they were both looking worse for the wear. Edith ran forward and gave Glade a potion, and noticed Wattson doing the same. When the two trainers had cleared the area (it was hard going with the mud threatening to trip them with every step), the pokemon resumed their attacks.

Manectric was loud, alternating its attacks with a piercing howl that made Edith want to cover her ears. Glade kept up with the mud, not wanting to get close enough to tackle. After several exhausting minutes, they both looked ready to lay down and rest. Glade sat down, seeming to forget all about the battle. At that moment, Manectric leapt forward for its final attack, and was surprised to find itself hurled away by a final jet of mud. Edith gasped and clapped in delight.

'I'm pretty good at playing dead, huh?' Glade said sleepily.

"I'm not sure if that was your plan all along, but you did a great job," she told him seriously before recalling him.

Wattson also recalled his pokemon and smiled at her. "You're right, that was an excellent strategy. Use a pokemon that looks to be at a disadvantage, and use a completely different type of ability! You wound up giving _me_ a thrill!" They made their way slowly towards each other, mindful of the mess on the floor. "Take this badge," Wattson prompted, and they shook hands. "I've also got this for a new winner." He handed her a TM disk. "That there contains Shock Wave. It's a trustworthy move that never misses! You can count on it!"

"Thank you very much!" Edith said politely. She admired the badge as she placed it carefully in her badge case, where it glimmered next to its two companions. The TM went into a special waterproof pouch in her bag.

"Ahh, I swell with optimism, seeing a promising young trainer like you," Wattson said, and Edith was alarmed to see his eyes get misty. "I've been living in this town for a very long time," he continued, half to himself. "I get a fair amount of challengers, but so few actually make it to the Pokemon League finals, you know. Sometimes it seems to me that the best trainers actually come from somewhere else. I'm always watching the news from other regions to see what amazing trainers are up to." He blew out a breath. "Well, I hope you go far, my dear. Good luck on your journey! If you make it to the Elite Four, give this old man a call, all right?"

"I will!" she replied. "I hope I can live up to your expectations. Thanks again for the great match!"

The sun surprised Edith by setting as she left the gym. Her stomach growled, reminding her that her last meal was breakfast. Despite her recent victory, she opted to return to the Pokemon Center and grab an easy, although lackluster, dinner there. She sat at a table crowded by her pokemon companions and planned for the following day.


	9. Chapter 9

Pokemon is not my property

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 9

"So, the plan today is to head west and see where Verdanturf Town is." Edith told her pokemon after breakfast. "Wally looked so forlorn after I beat him...I just want to make sure that he isn't too down. Plus, I've never seen Verdanturf and this will be a good exploring opportunity!" She flipped her Pokenav closed, hiding the map, and recalled all her pokemon save Zippy. "I know you're a fast runner, so I'm hoping you'll run alongside me today and we can get to know each other. Plus, it would probably be a good idea to train up your electric moves!"

Zippy barked in agreement. Edith mounted her bike, and they sped to the western edge of Mauville and into the route connecting it to Verdanturf. When the houses gave way to sparse cottages and finally open fields, Edith slowed and began to talk to Zippy.

"I know that you're an electric type, but so far you've only been able to shock opponents into paralysis and tackle them. I'm hoping that if we work on it, you'll be able to use your electricity in offensive attacks as well!"

'Yes yes, zap,' replied Zippy eagerly, although Edith couldn't understand much more than that.

"Well, let's look for some random battles to train!" Edith dismounted and collapsed her bike, affixing it to the bottom of her backpack. They walked fearlessly into the tall grass.

Several hours later, Edith was wiping her forehead with a handkerchief and watching Zippy take on a curious humanoid insect called Volbeat. "Just try again!" she encouraged, hoping something promising would happen.

Zippy charged up, her green fur crackling with energy, and leapt at the Volbeat. Unfortunately, just as she was about to hit her opponent, the electricity dispersed, and she crashed into it armed only with her own weight. The pair toppled to the ground, and Edith called Zippy back to her and administered a potion.

"I think you are improving, even if it may not seem like it," she said seriously.

'It's hard to concentrate.' Zippy flopped despondently in the grass, and Edith also took a moment to drink from her water bottle. They hadn't walked very far, but at least had had near constant battles to show for their time spent. Zippy _was_ really improving, it was just slow going. At first she had been completely incapable of summoning electricity when moving, whereas now she could at least walk a few steps, even if not stay charged for a tackle.

"Well, it's a good thing we're training then, right?" Edith said at length, after another long swig from her water. "How about we take a break and just walk for a while? If any wild pokemon show up, we can just run away!"

They avoided particularly thick patches of grass after that, and Edith focused more on keeping herself cool than scoping out new battles. The scenery was nice, at least. There was plenty of grass, dotted with cheerful wildflowers and the occasional bush. The trees were a bit too thin, however, Edith decided. Summer was getting into full swing, and shade was at a premium. Zippy echoed her thoughts, panting along beside her as they walked.

Shortly after sunset, Edith saw lamplight in the distance and decided to push on towards the promised structure. An hour later, having run from more Volbeats than she had expected, they came upon a quaint cottage tucked away amidst a lush garden that surrounded the house and sprawled away in the back yard. A sign on the charming white picket fence proclaimed in flowing script that it was _Mom and Pop's Pokemon Hideaway_.

"This looks promising," Edith remarked to Zippy, and they headed for the door. She pulled an antique bell chain and smiled at the tinny chime that rang through the house. Moments later, an elderly woman with long gray hair opened the door with a smile. "Hello," offered Edith.

"Good evening!" the woman, presumably the Mom from the sign, said kindly. "What brings a trainer to our doorstep at this hour?" She took in Edith's sweaty, dusty appearance, and the exhausted Electrike at her heels. "Are you traveling to Mauville for the gym challenge?"

"Actually, we just came from Mauville. Now we are on the way to Verdanturf City to visit a friend of mine." The heady scent of fresh stew wafted from the house, and Edith's stomach growled involuntarily. She grimaced in embarrassment.

"Oh dear, where are my manners?" Mom ushered Edith inside. "Come in, come in! We run a rest house for pokemon, but we get the occasional human visitor from time to time," she explained as she led Edith through the front room, which had a tasteful potted plant, a Pokemon Center-style computer, and a reception desk covered in photos of frolicking pokemon.

Once they were in the house proper, Mom called to the other occupant. "Pop! We have a guest for tonight! Throw another potato in the stew, would you?" Pop's answering call came from somewhere in the back of the house. They wound through a living room, wallpapered with cartoonish doodles of grass type pokemon and sporting a life size model of a bipedal bug pokemon reminiscent of Volbeat. "The bathroom is over here, my dear, so you can get cleaned up before dinner. I'll show you to the back door so you can let your pokemon out. I've already fed and watered our other residents, but I'm sure I have a little something extra for you!"

She pushed open the backdoor, and in the growing darkness Edith could just make out a large field dotted with trees and a barn-like structure a short walk from the house. She released her pokemon.

"We are staying the night here, so make yourselves comfortable outside and I'll see you in the morning. Mom here has very kindly offered to see to your dinner, so say thanks!"

There was a chorus of voices as they all thanked Mom, who just nodded and patted a head here, a shoulder there. "I'll be right back with some chow for you. Edith, feel free to freshen up." She bustled off into the house, and Edith waved a last farewell to her pokemon before going to wash her face in hands.

Several minutes later, she was sitting in a bright kitchen with a steaming bowl of stew before her. Pop set a glass of tea down next to her and smiled toothlessly.

"Eat up, my dear! So nice to have a young person in the house again, isn't it, Mom?" he said to his wife. She had already dug into her meal, and nodded in response. "We run a little resort for pokemon, you see," he explained to Edith while she ate. "Some trainers just want their pokemon to receive a little pampering, and others want us to train them while they are with us. Of course, Mom takes care of all of that battling business, while I keep the yard looking nice and make sure everyone gets the right nutrition in their diet!"

"That sounds wonderful! I've heard of pokemon daycare centers similar to this, but I've never used one myself," Edith said between bites. She noticed that the backs of the chairs in the dining room were carved with Dratini twining up and down the wood, and the wallpaper was an Eevee pattern. "Your house is really amazing. I've never seen so many different types of pokemon paraphernalia in one place!"

"That's Pop's handiwork," Mom said proudly. "He has a real knack for design, and he likes to spruce up the place when he's not taking care of the pokemon." She smiled at her husband across the table.

"Don't give me all of the credit, Mom," he replied. "After all, I would have a lot fewer display pieces if you hadn't won so many awards back when you were a pokemon trainer!"

Edith watched them try to outdo each other with compliments and sighed happily to herself. It was exactly the sort of life she envisioned for herself – growing old and still loving pokemon as much as she did now. If she had someone to share it with...even better. Brendan's face floated across her mind, and she coughed up the soup she had just inhaled.

Mom slapped her back. "Easy, girl, there's plenty more where that came from!"

After dinner, Mom chased Pop into the living room ("You cooked it, you shouldn't have to clean it!") and enlisted Edith to help dry the dishes.

"So, going to Verdanturf to visit a friend, eh?" Mom said conversationally, breaking the sound of sloshing water in the sink.

"Yeah, my friend Wally just moved there for his health. He really wants to see the world and train pokemon, but it's hard because of his health. I'm going to see how he's doing." Edith frowned at the bowl she was drying. "It's not fair that he has to stay cooped up in one place when he wants to go adventuring."

Mom chuckled. "I know that feeling. I myself had the wanderlust when I was a lass. I even tried to take the Pokemon League challenge twice!"

"Wow, twice? Can you even do that?" Edith asked curiously.

"Well, no, but I was so excited after I beat the Elite Four and the League Champ that I wanted to go and do it all over again! They wouldn't let me, and in those days we didn't have anything like that fancy trainer tower I hear is going to open north of Mauville. Instead, I did some competitive battling in Wattson's gym, met Pop, and moved out here to retire." She smiled into the dishes, seeing a much different time. "Pop, one of the best-known pokemon breeders in all of Hoenn. Yes indeed, we were quite a pair."

Edith watched TV with her hosts for an hour before they showed her the spare room and retired. Although they encouraged her to make use of anything she needed, she simply washed, dressed in her pajamas, and retreated to the bedroom. In the middle of updating her journal, her Pokenav rang with a familiar number.

"Bree!" she exclaimed, remembering belatedly to keep her voice down. "I've been looking forward to hearing from you for so long! Did you get my message? How are you? How are things in Saffron?"

The voice on the other end of the line laughed. "I'm fine. I did get your message; how else would I be calling you? And ugh, things are hectic right now! We haven't had a challenger through here in about a month, but it seems like everyday that a trainer in the gym has a problem that can only be solved by me. This is a psychic gym, I don't expect to be training amateurs! My recruits should be able to hold their own against their psychic pokemon, and yet..." she sighed and pulled herself together. "But more importantly, I want to know how you are. How are your pokemon? And who is this Brendan character?"

Edith grinned and relaxed into the frilly pillows. They were shaped like some sort of puffy cloud pokemon, and felt about as comfortable. She began to talk about what she had seen and done since coming to Hoenn. Idly, she twirled her charm between her fingers. The fang was smoothly polished and glistened dully in the lamplight.

"Wait, so you two were slipping around like morons while your pokemon battled?" Sabrina laughed as Edith recounted the tale of her battle with Wattson. "I would have paid to see that." She fell silent for a moment, then completely changed the subject. "I would really like to meet your Waltz. A new kind of psychic pokemon – for me anyway – that would really be a learning opportunity."

"Well, if you can find busy time in your schedule to visit me..." Edith offered.

Sabrina laughed. "It seems unlikely in the near future, but I'll be on the lookout for a good vacation time. Plus, I think it's only fair that you introduce me to your new boyfriend!"

Edith spluttered, but could not refute the assertion. "Yes. Well. I can do that, I guess. As long as you promise not to try any mind tricks on him!"

"Hey, I only did that once. And I apologized! But I have to get to bed now, what with all the early morning meditation we are doing. You know how it is."

"Yeah. Say hi to everyone for me. I miss those guys. Would you tell Takeshi that I miss him, too?"

"I will. Say hello to your parents for me. I can't wait for Gym Leader Norman to start making headlines! Not to mention yourself. I'll keep all your newspaper clippings!"

"I appreciate it." Edith's throat felt tight. "I'll let you get to sleep. Talk to you soon, okay?"

"Yep. Goodnight, my friend."

Edith settled into bed and fell asleep quickly. Outside, Waltz could hear her dreams as Edith-not-Edith played with a dark-haired little girl in a sandbox.

ooooo

Mom and Pop were obviously surprised to see Edith come downstairs not long after they had gotten up.

"An early riser!" Pop said appreciatively. He was making pancakes.

Mom made 3 cups of coffee for them. "If you keep heading west from here, you'll find a pretty popular triathlon training spot. Lots of athletes with their pokemon to battle, if you're interested."

"Mom used to be a pretty big name in that area," Pop said fondly, bringing plates to the table.

They ate quickly, and then let Edith into the back yard to explore while they took care of their morning activities with the pokemon staying with them. Pop trundled off to set out a whole host of different foods for the variety of pokemon in the yard, and Mom went in search of her current trainee. Pecha ran up to Edith, brimming with excitement.

'You would not believe all the berries in here!' he barely waited for a response before running off again.

Edith followed his haphazard trail, admiring the well-kept shrubbery. She spied a pond off to the right, and discovered Glade relaxing with a Goldeen and a Marill.

'Come on in; the water's fine,' Glade said, swimming in a lazy circle. He shot a thin stream of water in her general direction. She responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

Beyond the pond was a garden, and Edith could see Sly and Grumpy playing hide-and-seek. She left them to their game and continued further into the garden. Taillow swooped among the trees, and here and there she caught a flash of a Poochyena or Zigzagoon darting through the bushes. A flash of green alerted her to Zippy, who appeared to be joyously running laps around Waltz, who was cheering in her tinkling musical voice.

Waltz noticed Edith, and greeted her with a dizzying array of _funrelaxsunskybrightwindhappy_. Edith's head spun with the speed of the images. _Oh, sorry Edie_, Waltz said, switching to human language. _We are having a lot of fun._

"I can see that!" Edith cheered at Zippy as she ran past on another lap. "I want to get going in a little while, but until then keep enjoying yourselves. I imagine we could all use a little break!"

ooooo

By midmorning Mom and Pop were seeing Edith to the gate. Pop pressed can after can of his homegrown vegetables into Edith's bag. "Take them to your friend in Verdanturf!" he insisted. "There's plenty for Mom and me as it is."

Mom gave her a hug. "Thank you for staying with us. We hope you can stop by again sometime soon!"

Edith thanked them profusely as she left. When she turned to look back, they were still waving cheerfully from the gate.

When the house was out of sight, Edith released Waltz. "I think Zippy might have gotten a bit down on her training yesterday, so I'd like to give her a rest today. Would you like to train some?"

_I would like that_, she replied.

"I was thinking," Edith began hesitantly. "Would it be easier for you to speak directly to me in your own language? I could probably pick it up even though it's nothing like any psychic speech I've ever heard before. Err, thought? Well, you know what I mean."

Waltz looked surprised. _I suppose I could do that, if you would prefer. I really don't mind using human language, though._

"Well, whichever." Edith pushed down her sudden awkwardness. They walked in silence.

After lunch, they came to the triathlete training area. It seemed that every available space was being utilized: as a sprinting track, as a weight machine area, as a sparring ring. Waltz got in plenty of practice, and learned to switch effortlessly from Double Team to Confusion to Growl in order to dominate her opponents. Her nimbleness allowed her to escape most attacks that would have seriously injured her delicate body.

It was evening when Edith could make out the distant lights of Verdanturf Town. Right before she reached the town, however, she encountered a pokemon breeder who insisted on one last battle before calling it a night.

"Go, Roselia! Show her what a professionally bred and raised pokemon can do!" said the woman, looking self-assured.

"You're in luck, Waltz, Roselia is a poison type," Edith murmured to her pokemon. Without waiting, Waltz unleashed a mental barrage that left the Roselia reeling. It smacked itself with one rose-bud fist and flopped onto its back.

"What! That's impossible!" cried the professional pokemon breeder. She recalled her pokemon sadly.

Edith shrugged. "Type advantage is a huge part of successful battling. Although I'm certain your pokemon are very impressive creatures," she assured the woman.

_Surprisefearchangenow_ suddenly flashed through Edith's head, and she turned to see Waltz glowing and shifting. "It's all right, Waltz!" she reassured her pokemon, rushing to her side. The glow was almost painful to look at in the darkness, but Edith stayed close until it faded.

The pokemon breeder, still nearby, clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Your Ralts evolved into Kirlia!" She gently took Waltz's hands, inspecting her new, taller shape. "She looks just fine," she reassured Edith.

_I...evolved?_ Waltz asked tremulously, examining her new form.

"You look wonderful," Edith echoed. "Congratulations!" Waltz smiled. Her hair had changed so that her face was more visible.

They reached town soon after, and it was all Edith could do to get everyone fed, wash, and stumble into bed in the Pokemon Center.

ooooo

She got a better look at Verdanturf Town the next morning. The lush grass and flowers covering every available place, barely affected by the constant traffic, explained why Wally's health was expected to improve here. Edith herself felt refreshed, and she couldn't help but walk with a spring in her step to the address that Wally had left with her.

Wally's aunt and uncle's house was sizable compared to the other residences Edith had seen in the small town. She knocked, using the ornate brass knocker, and was greeted by a friendly-looking woman.

The woman pushed her spectacles up her nose and peered at Edith. "May I help you?" she asked.

"My name is Edith. I'm looking for Wally. Is he home?" The scene absurdly reminded her of calling on friends when she was a child.

"Oh, you're Edith!" the woman exclaimed with delight. Her demeanor completely changed. "Wally has been gushing about you ever since he got here!" She let Edith into the house and called, "Wally! There's a visitor here for you!" To Edith, she said, "You know he even had his uncle take him to Mauville to see the gym there!"

Edith nodded politely. The house was as impressive inside as outside, all wood paneling and rich carpet. There were several paintings on the wall of stern-looking men and women, and tasteful decorations on end tables here and there. From a room at the end of the hallyway, Wally came rushing to the door, his Ralts trailing behind.

His face lit up at the sight of Edith. "Edie! I'm so glad you came! I didn't know if you would make it so soon after I saw you!" He shook her hand vigorously, and his Ralts danced at his feet, picking up on the excitement. His aunt ushered them into an elegant sitting room, disappearing with a quiet promise of tea.

"Well, to be honest, and I hope you're not offended, but I was worried about how you felt about getting beaten. I didn't want to be the reason you couldn't challenge the gym leader! I'm really sorry about that." She looked imploringly at him, and was relieved to see him nod thoughtfully.

"It was a disappointment to lose, but I think it's strengthened my resolve. Me and Ralts have decided to train really hard, and when I'm feeling up to it, we are gonna go out into the world and start building our team!" Ralts nodded emphatically beside him.

That reminded Edith to release Waltz. "I was thinking that it might be nice for our two psychic pokemon to get to know each other! You wanted to talk to Ralts, right?" she asked her pokemon.

Waltz nodded and beckoned to Ralts, who looked to Wally for permission. Wally grinned and shooed them away. They retreated to a loveseat across the room, where they sat, legs dangling, and began a completely silent conversation.

Wally's aunt reentered with some tea. She had also set out a few Cheri jam biscuits on the tray. "You two have fun, now. Edith, it would be wonderful if you would stay with us a night or two!"

Edith took a teacup. "That would be very nice; thank you!" She nibbled on a biscuit. "Your aunt and uncle's house is really nice, Wally," she remarked.

He laughed. "Yeah, my uncle is a very successful businessman. He does a lot of work in Mauville, actually, which is probably why he let me travel there in the first place. But he did get me something really nice! Hold on, I'll show you!" He jumped up and disappeared somewhere, only to return with a shiny new Pokenav. "Let's exchange numbers!"

They talked for a long time, with Wally asking question after question about living with pokemon. Edith answered to the best of her ability, attributing all of her knowledge to studying with her father rather than direct experience. They were only made aware of how much time had passed when Wally's aunt brought them a plate of sandwiches and milk, with some pokemon treats for the pair on the couch.

When his aunt had left, Wally sighed softly. "I guess Wanda isn't back yet today. Auntie looks pretty down."

"Who's Wanda?"

"She's my cousin. Her boyfriend moved to Rustboro, but since the Rusturf Tunnel isn't completed, yet, they haven't been able to meet for quite a while. Supposedly he's trying to dig his way to Verdanturf, so every day she goes to the tunnel to see if she can hear him making any progress.

Edith blinked. "You know...I think I met a guy who said he was trying to dig his way to Verdanturf when I was in Rustboro. But there's no way he would be able to dig all the way here; the tunnel was blocked off with solid rock!"

"I know," he agreed sadly. "I'm worried about her! If she keeps up like she is, Uncle will probably get fed up and pay for her to travel by boat to Rustboro."

"Hmm. I wonder if I might be able to help," Edith started. "I mean, I have a pokemon that can break rocks pretty efficiently. He may be able to help with the digging from this end!"

Wally brightened considerably. "That would be great! I'm sure my cousin would be so happy if you could help her. Do you mind if we go have a look today?"

"We can go right now!" She glanced at Waltz, still deep in conversation with Wally's Ralts. The humans decided to leave them to it and head out alone.

In town, Wally took them past the very few sights, which amounted to the Pokemon Center, the Pokemart, and the incongruous Battle Tent. The town was small, so in no time they were marching into the unfinished tunnel.

"You don't seem to be out of breath at all," Edith remarked to Wally.

"You're right! Every day I spend here, I feel stronger and stronger," he said happily.

Ahead, a slight girl with long, wavy green hair similar to Wally's stood in a pool of light provided by a lonely lantern and scratched ineffectually at the imposing rock face.

"Wanda..." Wally said softly. The girl turned and regarded them sadly.

"Hi, Wally. Hi..."

"Edith," Edith supplied. "Nice to meet you, Wanda."

"The pleasure is mine." She gestured to the rocky wall. "I'm sure Wally told you, but on the other side of this rock... My boyfriend is there. But he, he's not just digging the tunnel to come see me. He works his hands raw and rough for the benefit of everyone!"

"I understand," Edith said kindly. "I think I may have someone who can help." She released Pecha. "You see, my pokemon is very good at smashing rocks, and I happen to agree that finishing this tunnel as soon as possible is a good idea!" At her instruction, Pecha began to tear into the rocks, bringing them down quickly.

Wanda gasped. "I can't believe you would do this for me—for everyone in Verdanturf! And Rustboro! How can I ever thank you?"

"Don't worry about that just yet First, let's help Pecha get this rubble out of the way."

The three of them set to work pulling rocks out of the way as Pecha dug into the wall. It was sweaty, dusty work, and soon Wally was overcome with a coughing fit and had to retreat. Edith tied a bandana over her face and continued digging alongside Wanda, who hardly stopped to breathe, so intent was she on breaking through the barrier.

At dinnertime, Wally got a call from his Uncle, and they trio had to admit defeat for the time being and return.

"I'm sorry, Wanda," Edith offered. "I was hoping we would be able to get through soon, but it looks like we will have to come back tomorrow and keep working."

Wanda wiped a dusty smudge across her brow. "You mean, you'll stick around? I thought you might be getting back to your gym tour!" She smiled gratefully.

When they arrived, they were greeted by a very annoyed Auntie, flanked by two irritated psychic pokemon.

_Where have you been?_ Waltz accused Edith, glaring. Edith was not surprised to see her hands on her dainty hips. Wally's Ralts was similarly staring him down.

Wally took charge of explaining as they were led to the dinner table. Wally's uncle was impressed.

"I really appreciate you helping out my daughter! She's been so sad ever since Riley moved away. I hate to see my Wanda sad." He shoveled a spoonful of peas into his mouth.

"It's really nothing," Edith said. "Pecha is doing most of the hard work, but all three of us were helping clear the way, right, Wally?"

Wanda smiled at her cousin. "Yes, even Wally helped us! I really do think he's getting stronger just being here in Verdanturf."

After dinner, the three young people excused themselves from the table and toured the house, ending up in Wanda's room. Wally retired to his own room to sleep, and Edith settled in on an inflatable mattress on the floor.

Wanda told Edith about her boyfriend, and Edith eventually revealed some details about Brendan. They giggled together late into the night.

ooooo

Wanda was up even before Edith the next morning, her excitement at continuing the work in the tunnel propelling her out of bed and down to make eggs before anyone else was even awake. Edith stumbled into the kitchen soon after, drawn to the scent of coffee, and together they woke Wally to eat and get going. Wanda practically ran to the tunnel, with Pecha nipping playfully at her heels.

Several hours later, Pecha had burned through some of his energy. 'I think we're getting close. I can hear a lot more from the other side now,' he told Edith, who translated for the others. They resumed digging with renewed fervor.

It wasn't long before the humans could hear scrabbling on the other side, followed by a shout as dim light filtered in through a crack in the wall. Wanda rushed forward.

"Riley? Riley is that you?" she called. An eye appeared at the crack.

"Wanda? How are you... Where did you... Keep digging! We are almost through!"

The wall was still waist height when Wanda climbed over, slipping on loose rocks, and threw herself into Riley's arms. Edith smiled at the display through her weariness.

They finished clearing out the path so that anyone would be able to pass with ease before returning once more to the house. Edith was invited to stay another night.

Before dinner, she brought out several cans of Pop's produce and gave them to Wally's aunt and uncle. "I almost forgot, but I was given some very delicious homemade canned food that you might like in your own cooking! I have way too much to carry around, so please accept this as a token of my thanks for letting me stay with you."

Auntie took the cans and squeezed Edith's shoulder. "Really, I think we should be thanking you for reuniting Wanda and Riley, but if you insist..."

They had a stew made from the Pokemon Daycare's produce and gave thanks for eating together with friends and family.


	10. Chapter 10

Although I own many things, Pokemon is not one of them.

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 10

Edith said farewell the next morning. Wanda gave her a bear hug, Riley shook her hand, and Auntie and Uncle smiled and thanked her profusely. Wally walked her to the door.

"I'm glad you came to visit me, Edie," he said quietly. "You've taught me a lot. Together with my Ralts, I'm going to challenge Pokemon Gyms and become a great trainer. Please watch me, Edie." Then, with a quirky grin, he added, "I'm going to become stronger than you. When I do, I'm going to challenge you to another battle."

Edith laughed. "I look forward to it! I'm always up for a good battle, as you know." She took his hand. "Wally, I wish you every luck with your pokemon journey. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me, all right?"

"Thanks, Edie, but I think I'm going to try this on my own. I've got to prove to everyone – I have to prove to myself – that I can do this!"

Edith was still smiling as she ambled towards the Pokemon Center. Having looked at her map, her plan today was to backtrack to Mauville and head north along Route 111 towards Lavaridge Town. As she was picking up some more pokeballs at the mart, however, she was startled by a call from Mr. Stone.

"Uh, hello?"

"Edie! This is President Stone of the Devon Corporation! How are you, lass?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Stone. What can I do for you?" she sat down on a park bench to rearrange some things in her bag while she talked.

"Well, Edie, Steven told me that you delivered my letter to him, which I very much appreciate. I'd love to give you something in return for your help!"

Edith hesitated. She hoped he didn't mean an errand of some sort. "That would be very kind of you."

"Splendid!" he interjected. "Can you drop by the office some time this week? It's important to me to make face-time with people, you understand."

She bit back a sigh. It wasn't an errand, but it would be out of her way. "Yes, I think I'll be able to get there by tomorrow."

"Wonderful! I look forward to it! See you soon, Edie!"

Edith stood and stretched, then trudged back to the tunnel she had just helped to clear.

ooooo

It was early afternoon when Edith emerged from Rusturf Tunnel, covered in dust and completely fed up with the local Whismur's misguided idea of singing. The lightly forested area just outside of the tunnel looked the same as it had when she had first come by. Trainers were everywhere, practicing moves with their pokemon or battling each other. She ambled towards the rest house she knew was nearby and was surprised to see a familiar face. Now where did she know that nervous-looking fellow from...?

"Oh, it's you!" He noticed her and jogged over. "You're that person who not only helped me in Petalburg Woods, but also got back my stolen package and then even graciously delivered it to Slateport!"

_Ahh, so that's who he is_, Edith thought.

"Capt. Stern informed us that the package arrived, too! I thank you very, very much!" He grabbed hand and shook it vigorously. "Why, if I were a rain cloud, I would shower you with gratitude and hail you as a hero."

"Uhhh..." was all she could manage.

He continued, "For you, the most wonderful trainer, I bear good news! Recently, our company developed a new kind of pokeball. As a token of our appreciation, this is our gift to our wonderful trainer!" The Devon employee pressed a peculiar-looking pokeball into her hand. "It's a Repeat Ball! It makes it easier to catch a pokemon that you've previously caught!"

"Oh, thank you, this will be very useful," she said. _If I actually caught the same type of pokemon more than once, I guess..._ She shook her head. That was uncharitable after such a gift. "I'm actually on my way to see Mr. Stone tomorrow!" she told him.

"Is that so? I imagine he wants to give you some sort of gift for helping us out so much. Mr. Stone is well-known for giving great gifts," he added. "He really takes care of his own!"

_I guess that makes me one of Mr. Stone's own_, she mused. That wasn't such a bad thing. Edith took her leave of the Devon employee and continued on to Rustboro. That night, her arrival at the Pokemon Center set the out-of-town gym leader rumors ablaze again.

ooooo

Devon Corp opened at 9:30, so Edith found herself locked out when she arrived. To kill time, she visited the PokeMart and replenished her supplies. She considered calling Brendan, but seeing as he was a late riser, decided it would be too cruel to wake him. Instead she settled on her mother, who was also an early bird.

"Hello? Is that you, sweetie?" Her mother's voice was a surprising comfort.

"Hi, Mom. How's it going at the house?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old! I'm pretty settled in. Met a few of the neighbors, went looking for good campsites nearby. What I'm really interested in is you! What have you been up to? Dad said he met you in Petalburg."

Edith detailed her gym battles and her pokemon team's personalities. She talked about running into Brendan ("Professor Elm's boy? Are you two an item now?" "_Moooom._") and visiting Wally at his new home in Verdanturf. Finally, she mentioned the run-ins with Team Aqua.

Her mother was quiet for a long time. "I know you always want to do what's right, honey," she began slowly, "but I think you should stay out of it this time." Edith made a small noise of protest, but she kept on, "I know you didn't ask to meet them the first time. That's not your fault. But if you see them again, I think it would be best if you got yourself out of there and called the authorities instead." Her mother sighed. "You're a wonderful trainer, and I know you can hold your own in a fair fight. But...you are still my baby. I can't have anything happen to you. Not again."

"Oh, Mom," was all Edith could manage. "I'll try to stay away from them, okay?" She shut her eyes, and her hand drifted towards the charm in her pocket.

They said their goodbyes, and Edith returned to Devon Corp. It was after 10, so the gates were open and inviting. The receptionist inside smiled kindly at her and called Mr. Stone's office. After a brief phone conversation, he nodded at her. "Mr. Stone can see you now! Please go right up."

The President's office looked the same as it had when she first visited, except for the addition of what appeared to be a scale model of a Pokemon Center. Mr. Stone was hovering over it, putting the finishing touches on it with a tiny pot of paint and a thin brush. When Edith entered, he carefully capped the paint and set the brush in a bowl of water.

"Edith! I'm so glad you could make it. Please, please, have a seat." He guided her to a set of couches comfortably arranged in the far end of the room. "Would you like something to drink?" Without waiting for an answer, he poured some coffee into a delicate china mug and set it before her with milk and sugar.

"Thank you," she said, stirring her coffee. He poured himself a cup as well, then began to add a surprising amount of sugar.

"Bit of a sweet tooth," he explained. "Would you like some more sugar?"

"This is fine." She sipped her coffee.

Mr. Stone had barely sat down before he was getting up again. "Yes, of course, your gift. It's just over here." He produced a brightly-wrapped gift and presented it to her with a little bow. "This is my way of thanking you for delivering my letter to Steven! It should help you, a trainer."

Edith removed the wrapping to reveal an adjustable metal headband. She couldn't stop her startled gasp. "Wow! An Experience Share! I can't believe it. These are so expensive..." she said without thinking. "Ahh, what I mean is, thank you so much, Mr. Stone! This will be very helpful to my training."

He nodded and sat back to sip his coffee. "Ooh! So sweet!" he said with pleasure. "So, tell me about your training so far. How many gyms have you challenged?"

Now well practiced at the stories, Edith recounted her effortless defeats of the first three gym leaders. Mr. Stone listened intently, and appeared to be deep in thought when she finished.

"Edie, you are truly a talented trainer," he finally said. "Your success appears to be hindered only be how long it takes you travel between gyms!" She scratched her head, uncomfortable with the praise. "As you know, Devon Corp is a major business, and we are always looking for new ways to get our name out there. We do, from time to time, sponsor trainers, who in return help to advertise for us. There is, of course, no obligation for you to do so, but would you be interested in an arrangement like that?"

She remembered her father saying the same thing. Mr. Stone did seem like a very good man, and she doubted he had an exploitative bone in his body. "I am interested, Mr. Stone, but to be honest I'm not sure if I want a lot of extra advantage over other trainers. What is it you have in mind?"

"We typically send newly developed or released items to our sponsored trainers, in addition to giving them discounts on other products." Edith was silent while considering it, and he added, "We can limit what we send you, if you really are concerned. The Devon Corporation does make a fair amount of general use products, like potions, antidotes, and stat boosters."

Edith nodded. "I think that would be agreeable. Where do we go from here?"

Mr. Stone stood and began rummaging in his desk. "I'll have a contract drawn up, and I'll mail a copy to both of your parents and yourself. If it's acceptable, you can sign it and mail it back!"

He returned to the sitting area and placed a sample contract on the table. An hour later, Edith left feeling reasonably certain that this was a good idea.

She was walking down the wide lane that led to the Devon office building when she spied a vaguely familiar flash of silver approaching her. "Steven? Hi!" She waved.

Steven looked up from a notebook he was perusing. "Oh...Edie, right? Hello there."

"Are you going to visit your father?" she asked curiously.

He stopped beside her. "Well, I was. Actually, I was hoping to run into you at some point."

She blinked. "What? Me? ...Why?"

"Well, I'm a pokemon trainer myself," he peered into her face for some sort of recognition, but she did not react. He continued, "and I'm interested in the careers of new trainers. My dad told me that you might be a good trainer to follow."

"Wow. Your whole family is really helpful!" she said. At his quizzical look, she explained about the sponsorship.

"Ahh, Dad. I shoulda known he would do something like that." Steven muttered. "Well, I hope it doesn't make this offer too weird, but I'd like to help you out on your gym challenge as well. I know you're new to the region, so I could give you some advice on the different gyms, the leaders and their teams, wild pokemon, local events, that sort of thing."

Edith could only shake her head in bemusement. "I'm not sure why everyone thinks I'm important enough to give things to, but who am I to say no to good advice? I'd love any information you'd like to provide!"

Steven smiled. "Dad can wait; would you like some information now? I heard you beat three gyms in two weeks!"

Edith laughed, but could only shake her head at his look. She launched into the third telling of her gym battles that day.

When she finished, they were seated in a trendy cafe picking apart crumbly muffins. Steven regarded her thoughtfully. "You are obviously a very skilled trainer, Edie. Listening to your story proves that you know not only how to raise your pokemon kindly, but that you know how to use them masterfully in battle as well. I think my dad was right in wanting to sponsor you. I'd like to help you in any way that I can."

"In that case," she said, "I'd love to learn more about the Hoenn region."

He nodded and pulled out his Pokenav, opening the map so they could both see it. He pointed out all the towns she had already been to, "Here's Littleroot and Oldale, Rustboro where we are now, Dewford, where we met, Slateport, and Mauville north of that. Oh, and Verdanturf," he added. "It didn't become well-known until they opened the Battle Tent there. Did you visit it while you were there?"

Edith shook her head. "I only challenged the one in Slateport. It was enjoyable, but the reward wasn't much to speak of for the amount of time it took. I think I'd rather focus on getting to the Pokemon League first, and then go back to Battle Tents when I've beaten the League Champion."

"The League Champion, huh? I like your confidence." Steven said mischievously.

She was oblivious, "Yes, my main goal is definitely to beat the Champ first. After that, I'll see what sort of options there are for more competitive battling."

"Well, if your intent is to work your way up to the Pokemon League, your next goal should be to visit Lavaridge Town and challenge Flannery's fire gym. She's young, maybe around your age, but she's from a family of diehard trainers. Flannery is an incredible trainer, and her pokemon are top notch, even maintained at the 4th level of difficulty. Her personal team without the level restrictions is...something else."

Edith perked up. "Her personal team? Have you battled her outside of the gym?"

He grinned. "Yes. I have a personal team of my own." Edith leaned forward, but he held up a hand. "I don't think you are prepared to battle me with the pokemon you have now. No offense." To stave off further comments, he continued, "Getting back to Lavaridge Town, it's northwest of Mauville City, in the foothills of Mt. Chimney. The climb is too steep to go straight to the town, so visitors must hike to the base of Mt. Chimney and take a cable car up. The town is also known for its famous hot springs, so if you like public baths you might enjoy visiting that."

"Hot springs? Great!" Edith practically bounced in her seat. She pointed north of Mt. Chimney. "Anything good up here?"

"Mmmm, well that depends on your idea of good. Fallarbor Town is a very rural town in the shadow of Mt. Chimney. On most days, it rains ash, and keeping important things clean of soot is a constant chore. There is access to the inside of Meteor Falls, which means good rock-climbing and digsites. Actually, there are some really interesting rock formations and digsites on the route north Fallarbor, if you go east instead of west towards Lavaridge. But it's a desert, so the sandstorms can get pretty bad and-"

"Steven..." Edith said slowly, "you're a Fossil Maniac."

He spluttered, protested, and finally admitted, "Yeah, okay, I am a fossil nerd." He frowned at her gloating smile. "Maybe I'll tell you all about that next time we meet."

"Next time? And when will that be?"

"Well, what's your plan now?" he asked.

"You said Lavaridge is the next gym, so I guess I'll go back to Mauville and then head north to there to challenge Flannery."

"I'm planning to go to Fallarbor sometime soon," he pointedly ignored her knowing smirk, "so maybe I can drop by when you get to Lavaridge. For now, I've got to meet with my father." He stood and grabbed the bill, ignoring Edith's protests. "I've gotta prove that I'm a cool fossil maniac," he said wryly.

ooooo

After leaving the cafe, Edith trudged back to the Rusturf Tunnel and arrived in Verdanturf well past her bedtime. It was all she could do to make it to a cot in the trainers' room at the Pokemon Center before collapsing in exhaustion. The next day was not much better, as she woke up later than usual and had the journey to Mauville ahead of her. She released all of her pokemon for company, and alternated between walking and riding her bike as they backtracked. It was another all-day trip, and they managed to make the last order of cafeteria food at the Pokemon Center.

The next day began at her customary time, and Edith was more than ready to get started on her trip north. She stocked up on Pokeballs, potions and elixirs, antidote, and canned food. She also took advantage of the inexpensive laundry and drying service; all trainers needed clean underwear.

The sun was still low on the horizon when she headed north to Route 111. To the north, Mauville City quickly gave way to grassy fields lined with trees. For the first few hours, Edith encountered no one.

Edith came across a lone house beside a peaceful lake. A man was pulling weeds in the front yard, and he looked up idly as she approached. When she was close enough to hear, he called out, "Hey! You a trainer?"

"I am!" she replied, coming closer to the tidy fence that surrounded the property.

"Well then! You've discovered the humble abode of the battling Winstrates. How would you like to take on our family of four in a series of pokemon battles? If you win, I'll see about getting you some lunch!"

Edith reached for a pokeball. "I don't turn down food!"

The man grinned. "Great! I'll start with...Taillow!"

His pokemon did an eager loop-de-loop in preparation for the battle. Edith sent out Zippy. "Now's your chance to practice your Spark, Zippy!" she told her encouragingly. The Taillow swooped by again, much faster than even Zippy could move. "Well, better use Thunder Wave first."

Zippy shot out a lash of electricity that surrounded the Taillow, slowing her speed.

"Quick attack," Winstrate directed. Taillow shuddered with residual paralysis. Zippy took the opportunity to attack, but lost her electric charge immediately before impact. The Taillow flapped away in order to strike at Zippy, who growled in response.

Winstrate tossed a berry to Taillow as she flew by, but it wasn't enough to cure the lingering effects of the Thunder Wave. "Tackle, now!" Edith commanded. Zippy leaped forward. Taillow's response was a vicious wing attack that sent Zippy skidding away. "One more quick attack!" Edith said, and this time when Zippy connected with her foe, the Taillow did not move.

"Oh no!" cried Winstrate, rushing to collect his pokemon. He switched to his second pokemon, a Zigzagoon.

In response, Edith recalled Zippy with a "well done!" and sent out Sly instead. He materialized, stretched, and cracked his knuckles lazily. "I think you'll just have to stick to physical attacks with him, so use scratch," she told him. Sly nodded and grinned. Then, he disappeared.

The Zigzagoon did not know how to react to his opponent suddenly disappearing from the field, and began to growl and whip its tail about in an effort to protect itself. /Slash/! Sly appeared long enough to catch the Zigzagoon on its shoulder. It yelped and lashed its tail furiously. /Slash/! Sly attacked from the other side, and the Zigzagoon danced away in terror. /Slash/! This time Sly struck his opponent across the cheek, and the Zigzagoon ran directly to Winstrate and hid between his legs.

"Aw, hell," said Winstrate. "How can I ask you to fight against something like that?" He picked up the Zigzagoon, made difficult by its considerable bulk, and nuzzled its fur. "How can I ask Daddy's little Ziggy to fight against a big ghosty like that?" He recalled his pokemon and handed Edith some change. "There's three more of us, now!" he reminded her, and walked towards the house. When he opened the door, she heard him call, "Hey, all! I've found a pretty strong trainer!"

Edith stood awkwardly in their front yard until a middle-woman came out of the house. "Hello, dear," she told Edith kindly. "I see you already defeated Victor. Well, I'm his wife Victoria, and I'm a bit more serious about training than he is!" She sent out a Roselia, who posed and preened with his flower-hands.

"Sly, I'm afraid this fight isn't for you," Edith told her pokemon. "We will have to switch for...Waltz!"

Victoria gulped. "Roselia, Growth!" Roselia wasted no time in sending tiny tendrils into the lawn, soaking up extra energy and strength from the ground. Waltz started immediately with Confusion, and the psychic waves caused Roselia to stagger and reel, interrupting the power-up. "Not yet, not yet," Victoria muttered to herself, hastily feeding Roselia a berry.

"Keep at it, Waltz," Edith said, and her pokemon responded. Roselia slumped over gracelessly, his poison no match for a psychic type.

Victoria blew out a sigh. "Well, that didn't go as well as I hoped!" She whirled away and marched into the house. Within seconds, a young girl with dark hair gathered into pigtails darted outside and released a Marill.

"Battle battle battle!" she cried.

Edith recalled Waltz and replaced her with Zippy. "Zippy, now's the time to try your Spark again! Get the Marill!" Zippy powered up the same way she had in training for the last week, then jumped forward into the Marill. This time, she managed to stay charged until making contact, and the force of the blow combined with the uncontrolled electricity sent the Marill bouncing away, already unconscious. "You did it!" Edith cheered, and did a happy dance with Zippy, who ran around her feet, snapping in glee.

The little girl stamped her foot, recalled Marill, and sent out a Shroomish. Edith also exchanged her pokemon in favor of Waltz. Shroomish was quick to release spores, which drifted across the lawn and clung to Waltz, stunning her and making her feel sluggish. Edith stepped out of the way of the spores as they floated towards her. Waltz frowned at the Shroomish, and suddenly the Shroomish was looking as sleepy as she was. Waltz concentrated harder, increasing the paralysis and inflicting her own attack on the Shroomish's mind.

"You got this, Waltz!" Edith said.

"Stop hurting my pokemon!" the young Winstrate yelled.

Waltz gasped, and the Shroomish flopped over. Waltz sat down as well. /I am still paralyzed/ she told Edith.

"Understood," Edith said, and recalled her. The little girl released her third and last pokemon, a curious quadruped with a permanently smoking hump on its back. After consulting with her Pokedex, Edith determined it was a Numel and sent out Glade. "It's a fire type," she said simply. Glade nodded, and sent a roaring wave of water towards the Numel, extinguishing whatever attack it had been preparing. The Numel rolled away, trapped in the wave, and when it receded it was clear that Edith was the winner.

The little girl recalled her Numel and ran sobbing into the house. Edith groaned. She always felt lousy battling little kids. Her thoughts were interrupted when a white-haired woman came storming out of the house.

"How dare you make my granddaughter Vivi cry!" she bellowed, pointing a bony finger at Edith. "For that, I'm going to smack you! Prepare to lose!" She sent out a Meditite, the curious psychic-fighting hybrid that Edith had seen in Brawly's gym.

"I guess I'm in for it now," Edith said. She sent out Zippy, hoping to get more practice in. "Okay Zippy, let's see another Spark!"

Zippy, being much faster than the Meditite, dove in and out with her attack before the Meditite could block it. The Meditite blinked, touched the slightly scorched area on its side where Zippy's attack had fallen, and then calmly jumped and kicked its knee into Zippy's side. Zippy didn't get up.

The old woman crowed with laughter at her victory, and Edith rushed to her pokemon's side. Zippy was breathing shallowly and did not open her eyes when called. Edith recalled her with concern and sent out Sly instead.

"All right, Sly, we are doing this for Zippy," she informed him. "Start with Night Shade."

Sly grinned, and the telltale shimmering cloud appeared around the Meditite. It, however, was completely unaffected, having already detected the move in Sly's mind and protected itself against it. Sly snorted in annoyance, then shifted into invisibility. He emerged from the shadows to scratch it across the chest. Meditite responded by meditating with enough force that even Edith could feel it lapping against her mind. Three times Sly tried to sneak close, claws extended, and three times Meditite predicted the attack and shielded itself. Finally, Sly returned to full visibility, and walked towards Edith. While it appeared that his concentration was fully on his trainer, he attacked the Meditite with a Night Shade, catching it off guard and sending it crashing to the ground.

The elderly woman harumphed. "Well, a deal's a deal. Come inside and let's get you some lunch." Edith followed her into the house.

Vivi skipped up to her, completely recovered from her earlier upset. "Wanna see my trophies?" she asked, taking Edith's hand. She led the older girl over to a series of photos and trophies prominently displayed on the mantle. "Mommy is stronger than Daddy. I'm stronger than Mommy. And Grandma's stronger than me! But my big brother is even stronger than Grandma."

Edith followed her pointing finger along the pictures. The first four were the family she had just battled, and the last was a man about her age, posing with a massive trophy and a big grin. Grandma came into the room with a tray of lemonade and noticed Edith's gaze. "That's my grandson, all right! He must be challenging the Pokemon League Champion by now. Knowing my grandson, he could be the Champion already!" She clucked fondly at the picture, then directed Edith towards the table. Victor and Victoria came in with sandwiches and salty chips for lunch.

Finally, they all gave proper introductions. They were Victor, Victoria, Vivi, and Vicky. When they found out Edith was also taking the Pokemon League challenge, they were full of advice for her, as they must have been with their son. Everyone was speaking at once, trying to get their comment out first. Finally, Victoria leaned forward apologetically. "When it comes to pokemon battles, we tend to be pretty passionate."

"That's an understatement!" Victor added. To Edith, he said, "You're the first trainer I've seen who deploys pokemon so masterfully. But, I should tell you-my son is stronger than you. He even took the Pokemon League challenge, I'll have you know."

"She knoooooows, Daaaad," Vivi reminded him helpfully. She sighed, the very picture of put-upon. "Edie is a very good trainer. I know because I battled her. I'm sure that by the time she gets to the actual Elite Four she will be even better than she is now!" Vivi smiled at Edith and swung her legs, which had yet to reach the ground.

After lunch, Vicky pressed a wrapped package into Edith's hands. "This is the Macho Brace we have been using to make our pokemon get stronger," she explained. "But we don't really have a need for it now, and you still have the rest of your League challenge ahead of you. I would be honored for you to have this and use it to defeat the League Champion." Edith smiled gratefully and took the package. "Provided, of course, that you can beat my grandson!"

Edith resisted the urge to groan. "Thank you so much! I will think of you when I use it. And if I run across your grandson, I'll be sure to challenge him to a battle!"

Once she was on the road again, Edith took a moment to revive Zippy. She didn't like the thought of her pokemon suffering inside of her pokeball for any more time than absolutely necessary. Zippy still looked beat, even after a potion, so Edith continued north alone. The uneven grass made it hard to pedal, so she resorted to walking until the sun set and she was forced to stop and light a fire.

The pokemon clustered around Edith while she prepared dinner. Zippy was content to relax sleepily near the flames. Waltz gently patted her shoulder, and Pecha snuggled against her other side. Sly and Grumpy settled in for a chat, and Glade sat down close to Edith.

'Are you gonna call your booooyyyfriend?' Glade joked, snagging some food off the plate she was arranging.

"Yeah, I was thinking about it," Edith replied, rolling her eyes at her pokemon. She stroked his head fin affectionately. "What do you think of him?"

Glade shrugged. 'He's nice. He's nice to you. His pokemon are friendly, too.'

_I agree,_ Waltz added. _Brendan has very pleasant thoughts._

"You've been reading his mind?" Edith gasped.

Waltz had the decency to blush. _He didn't ask me to stay out of _his _head._

"Ahhh, I'm torn between wanting to ask and knowing I shouldn't." She shook her head. "Don't tell me what you saw in his head, Waltz. It's none of my business." Edith brought food to where Zippy was laying and gently touched her forehead. "How ya doin, Zippy?"

'Much better after resting,' Zippy replied softly. She began to eat slowly.

"I'm really sorry about that," Edith said. "I should have been more careful."

'I'm just glad that I figured out how to Spark at last,' Zippy said around a mouthful of dinner.

Edith's phone rang. Waltz smiled at her trainer's reaction.

"Hiiiii, Brendan!" She paced towards her tent.

"Hey, Edie," He sounded tired, but she could hear the smile in his voice through it. "Guess what I just did!"

Edie grinned. "Hmm...you just caught a new pokemon?"

"Nope."

"You...got a new gadget?"

"Nuh-uh."

"You got free dessert at a Pokemon Center?"

He laughed. "That would be great. But no. Actually, I just defeated the Mauville City Gym!"

Edith cheered. "Congratulations! That's great. Tell me about the battle!"

Brendan told her about Mr. Leaf's epic struggle against Wattson's pokemon. Apparently, he had returned to Mauville after visiting the new trainer center at his father's request and challenged the gym. Edith shared her own gym story and the good news of Waltz's evolution.

"I'm sorry I didn't run into on your way back to Mauville," Edith said.

"Yeah. I want to see you again, too." Brendan agreed. "I don't want you to get behind on your gym challenges on account of me, though."

"Well, I'm headed to Lavaridge Town next to scope out the fire gym. Maybe we could meet there."

"If you don't mind waiting for me to catch up, I'll see you in Lavaridge," he said eagerly.

They said their goodbyes, and Edith retreated to her tent to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Pokemon: not one of my few possessions.

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 11

The next day went by in a blur of green grass and hot sun. The following day was more of the same, the tedium of walking broken only in the afternoon when Edith came across a surprisingly well-dressed pair toting a massive camera.

"Heyooo!" called the woman, pushing short hair out of her face. She had a notepad in one hand and a microphone in the other. Upon reaching Edith, she transferred both to her left hand and shook Edith's. "Gabby and Ty, Hoenn TV. We're currently on the scene looking for trainers to interview! And you," she took in Edith's rumpled and slightly greasy appearance with a polite once-over, "look like a trainer. How about a battle?"

"Me too, Gabby," said the man with the camera. He set it on a tripod and made some adjustments before also shaking Edith's hand. "I'm Ty, Gabby's cameraman. We usually do double battles, if you don't mind."

"I don't," Edith replied. "I'm Edie, currently on the way to Lavaridge to challenge Flannery's gym."

"Perfect!" Gabby exclaimed. "Let's begin!" She sent out a Whismur, a pokemon Edith hadn't seen since the Rusturf Tunnel. This one yawned loudly.

Ty sent out a Magnemite, which sparked menacingly and hummed. Edith sent out Zippy and Waltz.

"All right, you two," she said, huddling together with her pokemon. "I want both of you to work together to take out Whismur first." She straightened, and her two pokemon stepped forward. Zippy attacked, tackling Whismur with Spark while Waltz concentrated, disrupting Whismur's attack and injuring him. Meanwhile, Magnemite directed a beam of supersonic waves at Waltz, confusing her.

_I can't...concentrate..._ Waltz said miserably, spinning in place. Whismur regained his senses and howled in frustration. It was unfortunately too late, as Zippy was hurtling through the air in a quick attack that knocked them both down. Whismur did not get up.

Magnemite attempted to tackle Waltz, but in her confusion she spun out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack. Zippy tackled the Magnemite while it was extricating itself from the dirt. Waltz tried to help, but her psychic attack evidently backfired when she squealed in pain and sat down instead. Magnemite zipped towards her again, narrowly missing her head when she fell back against the earth. Zippy once more darted in while Magnemite was on the ground, this final blow sending it skittering across the grass and into Ty's camera.

"Awesome, awesome!" Gabby cried, recalling her pokemon and running to Edith. Ty scrambled to get his camera back in order so he could film the interview. "I knew we were on to something when we spotted you!"

"Oh, well, that's very kind of you to say," Edith said.

Gabby gestured for Ty to get a closeup. "Okay, I need you to describe your feelings about our battle, but it has to be short and sweet. Go!"

"Oh, um. It was very exciting. It was good practice," Edith stammered.

"That's a wrap! We've got it." Gabby shook Edith's hand again. Ty began to pack up his equipment. "Thanks for helping us, Edie. Be sure to check out Hoenn TV for our program _Trainers on the big screen_."

"I'll be sure to," Edith replied. She said goodbye to Ty as well, and they continued on in their separate directions.

The following day, Edith realized she had gone too far north when the grass gave way to sand and a sudden burst of dust and grit whirled around her, blinding her and making her cough. She cursed and backtracked rapidly, spitting out dirt and wiping sand from her eyes. "I assume that was the desert Steven mentioned," she grumbled, avoiding inspecting her hair which was now filled with sand.

By nightfall she was back on track, and soon after she broke camp the next day she noticed a distinct change in the landscape, as the foothills of Mt. Chimney lazily rolled up around her. Now trees grew among mounds and hills of red rock, and she could see Numel lumbering peacefully about in the wild. As she ascended, the climate became much more pleasant and cool, and she began to encounter trainers or hikers out enjoying the fresh air with their pokemon.

Each battle brought her closer to the steep side of the mountain, and at last she was looking up a sturdy staircase. A sign at the base read: "MT. CHIMNEY. For Lavaridge Town or the summit, please take the cable car." Edith dutifully pressed on.

As she reached the top of the staircase, she saw the building that housed the cable car. In front of the small gate were two men wearing black and red uniforms of some sort. The leashed violence in their casual postures and the similarity of their uniforms made her approach the building cautiously.

"Hey man, is our leader really going to awaken that thing?" asked the man on the left. Both of them were looking at the cable car station.

"Sounds like it, yeah," replied his companion, shrugging and shifting where he sat on the gate. "But I heard we need a Meteorite to do it."

Edith stopped well back from the pair. Neither had noticed her.

"Oh, I get it now. That's why the rest of the crew went out to Fallarbor."

"You got it. And until they come back, we're not to let anyone pass, right?"

"Right."

Edith swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. They didn't look like Team Aqua grunts, but they certainly weren't tourists or trainers, either. Very quietly, she backed down the stairs and away until she felt safe enough to sit down, trembling, against a tree trunk. She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes.

With shaking hands, she fumbled for her Pokenav and called Sabrina. There was no answer, and she hung up without leaving a message.

_Can't call Mom; she would probably tell me to just come home,_ she thought miserably. She scrolled through other names in her phone. _If I call Brendan I'll have to explain more than I want to. But I need to talk to somebody..._One of the names suddenly seemed promising, so she hit dial.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Steven? It's Edie," she said, trying to keep calm.

"Hey there. Don't tell me you've already beaten Flannery?" There was a vaguely metallic clinking in the background.

Edith took a deep breath. Her throat felt tight, and she replied with false brightness, "Nope! I was wondering; where are you at the moment?"

"Umm. Well, generally I am in Fallarbor Town and specifically I am at a friend's house looking at some rare stones." He chuckled. "More specifically I am sitting in the den, at a table..."

"Yes, well," Edith interrupted, "I just thought that maybe while I'm in this region of Hoenn I should swing by Fallarbor and see what's there."

"If you'd like," he said. More rock-tinkling came through the phone. "I mean, there's not much here to interest a trainer besides the Battle Tent. And you'd have to come through the ash, which can get messy."

"That's fine." Then, in a rush, she added, "Would you mind waiting for me? I would love if you could show me around, maybe introduce me to your friend, something like that..."

There was a pause. "Edie, are you all right?"

"I am great," she lied, hoping it sounded convincing.

"You just sound very...strained. Are you drinking enough water? Are you okay on food?"

"I'm fine. I don't need any supplies for the time being," she reassured him.

"Well, when you're traveling north there's a popular rest house set off the path amongst some trees. Be sure to stop there and take a break. The old woman who runs it always keeps plenty of useful things on hand."

"I will. Thank you." She already felt calmer. "I'll see you in a few days, probably."

"Sure thing. I'll be here."

Edith was up and walking before she had finished hanging up. Waltz's pokeball vibrated insistently, but Edith ignored it. She didn't want an audience while she got herself under control. Over and over her mind returned to terrifying images of Team Rocket. Thieves, abusers of pokemon, lying, cheating, violent Team Rocket with their poison pokemon and disregard for the rest of the world, _murderers..._

She shook her head furiously to clear it and took out her Pokenav to check the map. Somewhere ahead was the entrance to a "Fiery Path" that cut through the foothills and avoided the desert. It wasn't long before she could feel the increasing humidity in the air and see the difference in the plants growing around the cave entrance.

On the threshold of the cave, Edith could feel heat radiating out from the dim interior. She groaned – this would be a sweaty trip. Then she was walking, flashlight in hand, into the foggy cave. It was dark, and she was glad for her flashlight, but what little light was to be found inside came from random bursts of flame erupting from the floor. She kept her eyes open for cracks in the floor and the telltale hissing sound that preceded each flame.

In no time, her bangs were plastered to her forehead and her clothes hung thickly from her thin frame. "Free steam bath," she muttered, and nimbly sidestepped a gout of flame crackling up from the floor. She dutifully took a swig from her water bottle; what with all the sweating she wanted to stay hydrated until she reached the exit. Fortunately, the few wild Numel she saw appeared to be lulled into passivity by what was to them a comforting heat. Edith stumped along doggedly, having given up on trying to keep sweat from her eyes.

The path was blessedly short, and within the hour Edith was stepping back into green grass and berry trees. The sudden drop in humidity coupled with the cooler temperatures in the north made her gasp and scrub furiously at the sweat still coating her face and arms. "So cold," she whined, shifting uncomfortably in her still-wet and now chilled clothes. "I hope this rest house is nearby."

She gulped water and set off at a brisk pace, hoping to warm up again with the walk. Rather than descending, the path continued at the same altitude, and soon it gave way to more slopes and hills that Edith struggled up. When the sun was hovering over the horizon, she caught sight of a house hidden among the trees and gratefully headed towards it.

Outside, a gray-haired woman was tending a small vegetable patch. She looked up at the sound of Edith pushing through the bushes and nodded. "Hello there!" Edith staggered up to the house and the woman gathered her tools and waved her towards the front door. "You look like one of the unfortunate souls who's just come from the Fiery Path."

"How could you tell?" Edith asked wryly.

The old woman laughed. "Well, it's either covered in dust or covered in sweat, and you don't look dusty!" She motioned for Edith to leave her shoes on the doorstep. "I'm sure you're eager to wash up after that hike. I'll get dinner in order. If you leave your pokeballs out on the table I'll see your pokemon get fed and watered as well."

"I appreciate your hospitality," Edith said, divesting herself of pokeballs and gear.

"Oh it's no trouble..." the woman hestitated.

"Edie."

"Yes, no trouble at all Edie. Old Angie has been helping out folks passing through for a good long time."

Edith washed and gladly changed into clean, dry clothes. The rest of her clothing she dumped into a laundry machine that Angie had taped a helpful note for visitors on. Then, feeling marginally more human, she followed her nose to where Angie was setting out plates of rice ladled with mountain vegetable curry. A curious bipedal pokemon with enormous ears was helping her. Edith's Pokedex identified it as Spinda.

Angie smiled. "Sit, sit. Your pokemon are in the backyard resting."

Edith joined her at the table and dug in eagerly. She sighed with pleasure at the sweet tea and spicy curry and relished being inside for dinner for once. "So how long have you been running this rest house, Angie?" Edith asked around a mouthful of food.

"Ever since my husband died I began allowing visitors to stay in the spare bedrooms in the house. We have always lived out here, where some might find it a bit lonely. But I couldn't leave the house, not even after Will died, so instead I decided to bring people to me!" She put some more food on Spinda's plate. Spinda ate heartily, emitting squeals of delight in between bites.

"It's very generous of you," Edith replied. "I feel pretty lucky that I could stop and rest here after coming through Fiery Path. I can't imagine hiking all the way to Fallarbor in those wet clothes."

Angie nodded and swirled her tea. "Fallarbor is probably a day and a half from here. If you leave early and walk fast, you might be able to make it to the Glass Blower's workshop by nightfall. He sometimes has a spare bed for travelers, and I know he likes the advertising. That, or I recommend you take Route 113 all in one go; no one wants to sleep outside under the ash."

"I've heard that it's pretty rough. I have a raincoat I was going to wear to protect myself. Do you think that would be enough?"

"Perhaps, if it has a hood. I'll give you a spare umbrella, though. It will help even more, I think. The route certainly is...unique."

Edith helped Angie to clear the dishes and was going to follow Angie into the sitting room when she was stopped suddenly by the shout, _Edie! Come outside!_

"Would you excuse me? I'm going to check on my pokemon," she told Angie, who nodded.

The sky was turning from twilight to deep blue. When Edith stepped outside, she was immediately surrounded by her pokemon, Waltz front and center. And angry, if anything was to be learned from her glower and crossed arms.

"How are you feeling, guys? Did you get enough to eat for dinner?"

_What happened earlier?_ Waltz demanded, fixing Edith with a glare.

'I'm bored!' Glade announced. 'I wanna battle something.'

"I was trying to get to the next gym town and ran into some thugs blocking the path. Now we are taking an alternative route while we wait for the path to clear. Then we should get back on track with our gym tour," Edith answered them both.

Waltz peered searchingly at Edith. _Thugs like those from that one team...Rocket?_

Edith shot the pokemon a strained look. _Yes._ Out loud, she continued, "Tomorrow we are going to take the path to Fallarbor Town, which will lead us through a route permanently raining ash, and then to a much colder climate. We'll be seeing Steven again, as well."

'Oh, I remember that guy,' Glade said appreciatively.

Sly exchanged blank looks with Zippy. 'She met him before you two joined the team,' Grumpy explained.

'He's not the boyfriend or the nervous guy,' Pecha added.

"Well that's my cue to go back inside," Edith said. She bid them goodnight and beat a hasty retreat while they were still discussing the finer points of the various men she had met on her journey so far.

Inside, Angie was making mugs of hot chocolate. "My favorite show is about to come on," she told Edith, and offered her a mug. Edith followed the older woman back into the sitting room, where the beginning credits had just finished.

"_This week, on Gabby and Ty's Trainer Attack, we take you to western Hoenn to find out who's studying at the Pokemon School, battle some trainers en route, and give you a great recipe for pokesnacks!_" the TV informed them.

Angie squeezed Edith's arm when her battle aired. "How exciting! You got to meet Gabby and Ty!"

"_...very exciting. It was good practice,_" said TV-Edith.

After the program ended, both women turned in. At first Edith had trouble getting comfortable, having slept in a sleeping bag for enough nights in a row. She tossed and turned, and barely noticed the gentle brush against her mind that finally sent her into dreamland.

ooooo

When Edith collected her pokemon from Angie's backyard the next morning, she politely avoided asking Waltz about the night before, and Waltz was extra careful about sifting through Edith's thoughts for any remaining negativity.

Edith accepted some homegrown vegetables from Angie's garden in exchange for one of the cans she had received at the Pokemon Day Care. Being ridiculously early, Glade declined the offer to walk along with Edith, so she set out alone up the ever-climbing slopes towards Fallarbor. The more she walked, the colder it became. Soon she had shrugged on her sweatshirt and was still comfortable despite the difficult hike.

Around mid-morning, Edith encountered the first traveler she had seen that day. The man was walking around and around the same tree, looking far more thoughtful than was reasonable. He noticed her, and her wary expression, and called out by way of explanation, "I'm looking for a spot to make my secret fort!"

"I...what? Secret fort?" she asked.

He had a Spinda with him as well, and gestured to it. "Yes, if you teach a pokemon the move Secret Power, you can find entrances to hidden spaces out in the world."

"Huh. That sounds...really useful, actually, if you are a traveler."

"Exactly!" he agreed. He rooted around in his knapsack for a moment. "I have a couple spare TMs, if you want a copy."

Edith accepted the disc. "That's very generous of you. Thanks! I'll let you get back to your fort, then," she said, nodding at him. He was already investigating the next tree.

After lunch Edith began to notice a slight change in the air. Although where she was hadn't changed very much, ahead she could see a haze on the horizon. "I suppose that's the raining ash," she mused aloud. Within an hour, the few flakes that drifted her way had become enough of a nuisance that she shrugged on her raincoat and got out her umbrella. She was sure to tie her hair back and pull the hood over her face, leaving only her eyes and hands exposed. It was a good thing, too, she decided, when within minutes everything exposed was covered in a fine layer of ash.

Soon, she was struggling between stout, ash-drenched bushes that grasped at her legs and shook ash off onto her shoes. "How do these plants even survive under all this ash?" she muttered angrily, once again untangling her backpack from a thorny bush. She scratched irritably at her hand.

"They are special plants that thrive in harsh climates!" cried a decidedly young voice.

Edith spun around in time to see a creature emerge from a pile of ash. She screamed and flung herself away, serving only to fall back into a bush, lose hold of her umbrella, and get a faceful of powdery ash.

The creature shook itself to reveal a little boy in a ninja costume. "Haha! Foolish peon! No one can match the ways of the _ninja_." He did some elaborate poses to illustrate his point.

Edith growled and flipped up out of the bush. "Ninja, huh? And just where is your dojo?" she demanded. Without waiting for an answer, she seized one of her pokeballs and released Grumpy. "C'mon, pokemon out. We are having a battle and I am going to beat you so bad for startling me. Who goes around hiding in ash anyway? How is that normal ninja behavior?"

The little boy sent out a Spinda. "Only a ninja master can truly comprehend the ways of the ninja!"

"Grumpy, poison that Spinda," Edith directed her pokemon, who responded immediately. To the boy, she said, "No, a true ninja trains and goes about her normal life and..." she squeezed her eyes shut firmly, "does not fight little boys. She definitely does not fight children."

The boy's Spinda squealed as Grumpy's poison sapped its energy. It tackled Grumpy, but only served to cover itself further in sticky, poisonous spores. Grumpy tackled it into a particularly large ash drift.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" the boy cried, digging around in the pile for his pokemon. He rounded on her. "My ninja brethren will take revenge on my behalf!"

Edith threw up her hands. "Do you even know what the words you are saying mean?"

The boy promptly sat back in the ash and began to drag it over himself to hide. "They will take revenge...reveeeenge!"

"Argh!" Edith exclaimed, collecting her umbrella and stomping away. "Ninja definitely do not fight children," she told herself. Her hand prickled against the umbrella and she rubbed it vigorously.

Sometime later, Edith came upon another curiously shaped mound of ash. As she peered at it, it suddenly transformed into another little boy leaping out of the ground.

"Ninja revenge!" he cried, posing as his predecessor had.

"No, no, no," Edith shook her head. She grabbed his hand. "Your fingers have to stay stuck together, not all spread out. This isn't a dance class. And keep your back straight!"

The boy adjusted his form, too surprised to react otherwise. Finally, Edith stood back and nodded.

"That looks much better. Now, I can beat you in a pokemon battle, or you can go back to your ash bath."

Honorably, he chose the battle, and several minutes later Edith had some more coins for her purse. She continued to walk through the ash, pushing through the underbrush. The umbrella served as both protection from the ash and a battering ram against particularly pesky bushes. By now, the itchy part on her hand burned continuously, and she was forced to stop and expend some of her precious water on it to see what the problem was.

She had expected a cut from one of the bushes, but was simply greeted with the sight of red, bumpy skin. "A poisonous plant? You've got to be kidding me." She hastily dug out an antidote from her bag and sprayed it liberally over her hand. "Shoulda caught this sooner…" She wrapped a small bandage around her palm and put on her gloves for good measure.

The sun was well below the horizon when Edith spied a hazy glow through the still-raining ash. She pushed on, kicking up puffs of dust as she slogged through the layer of ash on the ground.

A sign beside the door proclaimed "GLASS WORKSHOP: Turning volcanic ash into glass items." She knocked on the door, bouncing a little on her toes in anticipation.

A girl half her height opened the door and looked up from under her Jigglypuff-pink bangs. "Can I help you?"

Edith waved. "Hello there. I had heard that the Glass Blower who lives here sometimes rented rooms for travelers passing through this route. Would it be possible for me to do that tonight?"

The girl hesitated, and from inside the house Edith heard a gruff male voice call, "Who's at the door?" followed by heavy footsteps. Soon, a man with enormously curly gray hair and a great big bushy beard stepped into the entryway. He looked Edith up and down in all of her ash-covered glory. "Well, Sammie, don't just stand there. Let the lass in!" He turned and stumped away, and the pink-haired Sammie stepped back to allow Edith inside.

Edith shook her umbrella thoroughly, followed by her raincoat, before stepping inside and hanging both in the hallway. Sammie produced a stiff brush, which she used to clean off Edith's belongings as the other woman stepped out of her shoes and rain pants. The pair then walked deeper into the house, Sammie carrying Edith's backpack.

The old man, presumably the glass blower, was seated by a roaring fire idly turning over a tiny figurine in his hands. The light caught the edges of his gray afro, giving him a curious halo. A Slugma was resting quietly at his side. Without looking up from the figurine, he called, "What's your name, lass?"

"Edie," she replied, going to the kitchen table that Sammie directed her towards. "Thank you for your hospitality," she added.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. I'm always grateful for the extra coin, even though the glass-blowing business does me quite well, if I do say so myself."

Sammie nodded, pink hair bright over dark skin. "It's true! That's why I decided to apprentice it. You wouldn't believe all the cool things I can make, either!" She bustled around the kitchen, setting out cups and plates.

"If you let me get washed up, I'd be glad to help," Edith offered. Sammie nodded, and Edith stole away to wash her hands in private. Although her hand felt marginally better, upon removing her gloves, she found it was still as angry and red as it had been earlier. She washed it thoroughly and applied another antidote before putting on a clean bandage, then returning to the kitchen.

Sammie was toasting bread, and had the fixings out for some veggie sandwiches. Edith began to chop ingredients, and Sammie went to check on the soup on the stove. "Richard told me that his master was much more demanding, but he only makes me do _some_ of the chores," she confided to Edith.

From the living room, Richard chuckled. "My master had me scrubbing the floors day in and day out, then chopping firewood, then cooking up elaborate recipes from scratch. She was a tough woman!"

Edith nodded, impressed. "Training for any sort of job is hard, but it seems like you got the better deal, Sammie."

They brought the meal to the table and Richard joined them. Although his hair was gray, he was clearly still hale and healthy. He grabbed a mug with an arm the size of Edith's waist, built up over years of toil. "What brings you to Fallarbor, Edie? I noticed the pokeballs at your belt earlier. Are you a trainer?"

Edith blew on her soup, still hot from the stove. "I am a trainer, but I'm not going to Fallarbor to challenge the Battle Tent, if that's what you're wondering. Actually, I'm going to visit a friend."

"Visiting a friend," mused Richard, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"If you're a trainer, while you're on this route you should keep on the lookout for wild Skarmory. They are pretty rare, but if you can find one, they are really cool-looking pokemon," Sammie suggested.

Edith immediately perked up. "Rare Skarmory, you say? I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled."

When they had finished eating, Sammie showed Edith a covered, insulated shed behind the house where her pokemon could sleep. It seemed that not even pokemon would be totally fine with awaking under a heavy layer of ash.

In the living room, Sammie had taken out a book and was reading it to Richard while he inspected a set of glass items he had laid out on the floor. Edith quietly sat beside Sammie and peered over her shoulder. The book was set in Kanto. Edith noticed the name "Lavender Town" and listened more closely to what Sammie was saying.

"…the girl slowly climbed the staircase, growing more frightened with every step. Somewhere in the upper reaches of the tower, ghost pokemon howled frightfully, and she wanted to turn back…"

Edith chuckled. It was a ghost story she had read in her childhood. She decided against telling Sammie the ending and instead elected to look at the objects Richard was polishing and carefully wrapping in tissue paper.

He noticed her scrutiny and showed her the lid of the box, which was labeled in block letters: WEATHER INSTITUTE. She nodded, half-understanding. What was the Weather Institute? Richard pushed a packing list to her, which also contained the original instructions for the order. It seemed that in addition to whatever consumer goods Richard and Sammie produced at their glass workshop, they also received orders for specialized items to be used in other contexts, like scientific research.

Unable to make head-nor-tail of the glass goods, Edith grabbed a floor cushion and reclined near the fire, listening to Sammie read. The warmth of the fire and the constant, gentle hum of Sammie's voice lulled her half asleep, which is why she was so startled when her Pokenav vibrated in her pocket.

Edith jerked upright, hand going immediately to the offending pocket. Both Sammie and Richard stopped what they were doing to stare quizzically.

"It's just my phone. Uh, sorry," she said unnecessarily, and left the room to answer the call.

In the spare bedroom, she flipped open the phone and was pleased to see Brendan's name. "Well hello there," she said cheerfully.

The immediate response was a sort of eerie howling static. "Edie? Can you hear me?" Brendan's voice shouted over the din.

"Barely!" she replied, wincing at the continuing howl. "Where are you?"

"Where?" he shouted back. "Now, I'm uhh, in the desert! The one with the sandstorm!"

Edith blinked. "How did you get in there with the sandstorm? Hold on, is that what's making all the noise in the background?"

"…ogg…" was all she could hear over the roaring wind and static. "…stor…"

"Brendan? I can't hear you at all. Hello?"

"…ee?"

Edith frowned at her phone. "This conversation is not really going to work out," she told it. Into the receiver, she said, "Brendan, if you can hear me, I am going to hang up. I can't hear a word you're saying! Call me when you get out of the sandstorm, and I'll see you in Lavaridge."

The only answer was more of the howling. She hung up and went back into the living room.

In the morning, Edith discovered an empty kitchen. Despite how early she woke, the glass blower and his apprentice were already up and hard at work, as indicated by the note left on the kitchen table, along with a selection of fresh berries. Edith chose two and carried them both towards where she could hear the sounds of work.

The workshop was connected to the main house by a covered hallway. Inside, it was dimly lit by naked bulbs overhead and the roaring furnace. When Edith looked closer, she realized that Slugma was placidly bubbling next to the furnace, stoking it occasionally. Along the walls were bags and bags of ash. Sammie was running back and forth fetching tools for Richard, who was currently puffing enthusiastically into a pipe connected to a delicate vase. Edith crunched into her breakfast and tried to stay out of the way.

Eventually, there was a lull in the work, and Sammie was able to take a break and come over to Edith. "Good morning, sunshine!" she said cheerfully.

"Morning yourself," Edith replied. "You guys sure get up early!"

Sammie shrugged. "We go to bed pretty early too. We prefer to work during daylight hours." She glanced at the windows, which were blackened with soot. "Not that you can really tell."

Edith laughed. "Well, I appreciate you guys letting me stay here, but I think I'd better get on the road towards Fallarbor." Sammie nodded.

Richard looked up from his work briefly. "Before you go, you should take a bag with you. Sammie, get her a bag," he said before going back to his tools.

"Oh, right!" Sammie dug around in a cabinet, finally emerging with a bag made of curiously shiny gray material. "This here is the Soot Sack. It's what we use to collect ash to make our wares!" She demonstrated its use by putting a handful of ashes into it and drawing it shut. "Watch this." She smacked the side of the bag, and Edith flinched, expecting a puff of dust to explode out. Nothing happened. Sammie laughed. "The material is special made to keep soot from escaping! So even if you carry it around in your pack, it won't ruin your other things." She presented it to Edith. "If you bring us ash you collect yourself, you get a discount on your items! If you bring extra, it's free!"

"Gosh, well thank you," Edith replied, taking the curious bag.

Sammie led Edith to the kitchen, where they squared away payment for the lodging and Edith collected her belongings. Sammie then helped her to put on her protective gear, including the Soot Sack, which was now attached to her left leg, and saw her to the door. "If you come by here on the way back, stop by, okay? We don't get many visitors, and although the work is fun, it gets kind of lonely!"

Edith grinned, although Sammie couldn't see it through the hood. "I will! I'll bring some soot back for you!"

By midmorning, the ash was beginning to lessen, and Edith found herself walking through fields instead of clumpy, shapeless ash-covered bushes. The weather warmed up, but not by much, and she was finally able to shed her raincoat and umbrella. The Soot Sack she closed securely and put in her bag. It didn't seem too heavy; she wondered what sort of objects could be made with that amount of soot.

Farmers were tending their fields, some with pokemon at their sides. Most waved when she passed, and she returned the gesture. Some, however, regarded her with obvious suspicion. She did not wave to them, and their disapproving curiosity precluded any other interaction.

The fields gave way to smaller garden plots, and finally there were more houses than produce, and Edith realized she must have stumbled into Fallarbor. It was small and decidedly rustic, but the friendly red of the Pokemon Center roof guided her where she needed to go.

This building, like the glass blower's house, had a much wider entryway than was typical, with plenty of space to take off dusty clothing. Edith wondered if it ever rained ash on the town as well.

"Welcome to Fallarbor Town!" the nurse greeted Edith when she approached the counter inside. "What can I do for you today?"

Edith fished out her pokeballs and handed them over. "These fellas need a once-over, and I have an injury on my hand…" she removed the bandage on her hand to show the woman.

The woman frowned at the red, bumpy skin. "That looks like you let it go for a week! Come with me," she told Edith sternly. To herself, she muttered, "What is with trainers always thinking they can just leave poison go? Doesn't anyone teach kids to carry antidote for themselves anymore?" The murmured tirade continued while she took care of Edith's hand. Finally, she lightly wrapped gauze around the offending location and looked up. "That's that! Your pokemon should be completely restored in an hour or two, so please come back later."

"Thanks," Edith said, somewhat cowed by the nurse's litany of complaints. She went to check the center's PC and found an enormous, curly-haired woman already using it. Well, more like…assembling it.

"Be outta your way in a sec," the woman said with her head halfway inside the CPU. "Just putting the finishing touches on this upgrade…" She straightened up and dusted off her hands. "There we go! Now items should be transferring properly." The woman stepped out of the way and gestured to the PC with a flourish. "She's all yours! You a trainer?"

"Yeah, I am," said Edith, logging in and organizing her items. She placed some unused TMs and the Soot Sack into storage.

The woman grinned. "Great! I love to see trainers using my system."

"Your system?" Edith asked in surprise. "I thought all the systems were designed by…" she stopped.

The woman shook her head, and the two thick braids on either side of her head bounced. "Designed by Lanette, out here in Hoenn! Well, it was a collaborative project, but I did add a lot of my own touches to the interface. Pleased to meet ya," she held out a pudgy hand.

Edith shook it. "I'm Edie. I love your PC system," she added politely.

Lanette grinned. "Well, listen Edie, I gotta run right now, but if you're ever out on Route 114 I want you to drop by my house and say hello! I'm always looking for ways to improve my system, and the best way to get ideas is to talk to trainers!"

"I sure will," Edith assured her. Lanette breezed out the door, and Edith soon followed, eager to explore Fallarbor.


	12. Chapter 12

The Pokes are not mine!

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 12

Edith felt much freer without her bulky rain gear and umbrella, and she practically skipped down the central lane in the town. Passersby gave her strange looks, until finally she approached one of the nicer looking gentlemen and asked, "Excuse me, but why are the townsfolk so suspicious-looking? Do you not get many out-of-towners?"

He sized her up, and must have decided she wasn't a threat. "Some shady folk have been going in and out of Professor Cozmo's home for a few days. Now, he's gone off to Meteor Falls with them, and hasn't come back since yesterday!"

One of the men he was standing with muttered, "Something's happening, and I don't like it!" The man Edith was speaking to shushed him.

"We're used to unfamiliar trainers coming by to challenge the Battle Tent, and to be fair, you look like one of those types rather than those grunts we saw. But, folk'll be quick to jump to conclusions, so I imagine a fair few are worried about you just for being new."

Edith thanked him for his time and stepped away from the group. Mysterious characters who looked like grunts abducting a professor and going to a secluded cave. That certainly sounded ominous. And…related to what she had seen outside the cable car station.

Abruptly, Edith grabbed her Pokenav and called Steven. He picked up after two rings. "Heeeey Steven, guess where I am?"

"I'm going to guess Fallarbor Town?" he said with mock surprise.

"That's right! Where are you?"

"I'm at my friend's house, which is on the west side of town. If you follow the main road west, I'll come outside and meet you."

Edith hung up and began to walk. After a few minutes, she noticed a distant figure that looked tall and distinctly well-dressed. Steven grinned when he saw her. "Welcome to Fallarbor Town. I hope you weren't planning to do much sightseeing, because you've basically done it already."

She shrugged. "And what lovely sightseeing it was. At this point, I'll settle for meeting your friend."

"You're in luck, because that was the plan." They walked back towards the house, which was a quaint, unpainted wooden structure with small windows to either side of the door. Steven walked right in, calling, "Dexter, I'm back with Edie!"

"Come on back," called a voice from somewhere in the house. Edith toed off her shoes and followed Steven down the hallway. She let out a little gasp when her first sight was of an enormous eyeball gaping at her. "Oh, sorry!" said Dexter, laughing. He pushed up his magnifying glass, revealing a thin, freckled face dwarfed by thick spectacles. "I've just been cataloging some rare stones, you see." He turned to clear a space on the low table, the only piece of furniture in the room aside from some floor pillows, and Edith shot Steven a look and mouthed 'Fossil maniac!' Steven grinned and shrugged.

Dexter unceremoniously swept the remaining dust off the table and onto the floor, then hastily set out some pillows for them to sit on. "Please, sit, sit," he said, trying his hand at hospitality. "I'll get some drinks."

While Dexter was safely out of earshot in the small kitchen, Edith whispered, "You guys have _totally_ been sitting here having a fossil nerd party!"

"So what if we have?" Steven shot back good-naturedly. "Are you saying you're too cool for me now? And I was going to give you a nice present, too!"

Edith stuck her tongue out at him, and quickly withdrew it when Dexter returned with a pitcher and three glasses. "Got some lemonade!" he announced. "And clean cups!"

They drank. "So, Edie, Steven tells me you're quite the pokemon trainer!"

"Does he now?" She glanced at her friend with a grin. "Well, I like to think I am, at least. Do you have any pokemon?"

"Just a Geodude. I don't really train it, though. It mostly keeps me company, helps me with my archaeology, things like that. Steven's the real trainer. I couldn't believe it, when we met he-"

"We met in school," Steven interrupted. "We were both studying archaeology together in school."

Edith frowned. Steven was very obviously hiding something. _But so am I,_ she thought sheepishly, and decided not to press the matter. At that moment, a young girl wandered into the room, blinking sleepily and carrying a Marrill doll.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" said Dexter fondly. The girl sat down next to him and leaned against him.

"Mmmm," she yawned.

"Edie, this is my niece Rosalyn. She's staying with me to learn about archaeology before she turns 10 and decides what she wants to do with herself."

"Nice to meet you, Rosalyn," Edie said politely.

Rosalyn spoke around her hand as she yawned again, "Mommy and Daddy don't like archaeology. They say you get really dirty and don't find anything useful. But I like archaeology and I like to dig in the dirt and I like the pretty rocks. And I even like the rocks that aren't pretty too because they are important!" she informed the older woman seriously.

Steven leaned over and stage-whispered, "Her parents are hoping that she will be so bored with Uncle Dexter that she will forget archaeology entirely."

"I won't!" Rosalyn protested. "Uncle Dexter isn't boring, and I like him! He says I'm the best archaeologist he knows," she insisted.

"You are the best," Dexter assured her. "Why don't you go get something to eat?" He shooed her towards the kitchen. Steven raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, she's the best 8-year-old archaeologist I've ever seen," Dexter amended.

"So what is there to do in Fallarbor Town?" Edie asked. "What's to the west of here?"

"Ummm let's see." Dexter drummed his fingers on the table. "There's a small lake for fishing to the immediate west; south of that is a much bigger lake at the base of Meteor Falls. There are a few houses out there, and then it gets into the foothills of the mountain."

"Houses?" Edie interrupted. "Is Lanette's house out there? I met her at the Pokemon Center and she asked me to come by."

"Oh, yeah. It's pretty easy to find once you cross the big lake. She'll probably give you something if you make the trip all the way out there. She's one of those rich eccentric types, you know." Dexter glanced pointedly at Steven, who wrinkled his nose.

"If you're going all the way out there, I'll give you directions to one of my favorite mining sites," Steven offered. He ignored her victorious grin. "It's pretty close to the entrance of the Falls and has a lot of interesting rock formations."

After a few moments, Edith gave up on mouthing "fossil maniac" at him and focused on the conversation. As she was raising her glass to take a sip of her drink, Steven reached out and caught her wrist.

"What happened to your hand? It looks like you got stung by a ton of bug pokemon." He pulled her hand closer to his face and frowned at the reddened skin.

"I touched a poisonous plant on the way to Fallarbor," Edith said, squirming to free her hand. "It's fine now; I went to the Pokemon Center and everything."

"Well, it looks awful," Steven said matter-of-factly. "Keep an eye on it, okay?" He released her hand with a concerned look.

Edith stayed for lunch and spent the afternoon learning about Dexter and Rosalyn. Steven was talkative, but never about himself. Dexter was more than willing to fill in any missing information about their archaeological adventures, and talked at length about fossils and pokemon resurrection. Rosalyn listened with rapt attention and asked every question that came to her mind.

In the mid-afternoon, Dexter announced that he had promised to take Rosalyn to the store, and Edith decided to take her leave rather than accompany them. She shook Dexter's hand and gave Rosalyn a hug, then stood awkwardly on the front stoop with Steven. He went over the directions he had given her again.

"There's no need to go all the way through the Falls, unless you want to backtrack to Rustboro. You won't need much of this map since the digsite is very close to the entrance, but you can have my personal map." He presented her with a very detailed hand-drawn map labeled with spidery writing.

"This looks way too important to be giving to someone with no interest in fossils like me. It's practically a handmade guide to the entire mountain!" Edith moved to pass the map back, and Steven held up a hand.

"I'm enough of a fossil nerd that I don't really need it for reference any more. Please, consider it a gift."

Suddenly, Dexter ran back into the house. "I almost forgot!" When he returned, he had a TM case with him. "I got this TM for Rosalyn, but she doesn't have any pokemon that can use it right now. Since you're about to go into a pretty big cave, you will probably benefit more. We can get another one easily enough, anyway."

Edith took the case and examined the label. "Dig! This will be so useful! You really shouldn't have, Dexter," she said gratefully.

"Not at all," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I have all sorts of weird things laying around in the house; I'd rather see them put to use!"

Edith set off towards the west, and soon found the path turning southwards. When she came upon a small fishing pond, she released Grumpy in preparation for battling any fishermen trainers she might run into.

"Hopefully all of these fishermen will be using their water pokemon to battle," she told the pokemon. "You'll have the upper hand."

Grumpy puffed with self-importance. 'Let's go! How about that guy?'

They took the first three people they came to down with ease. Grumpy was a stun-sporing, absorbing, tackling machine. In the last battle, she faced a strange gray fish that Edith identified as a water/ground type called Barboach.

"Grumpy, you are going to love this. Barboach is doubly susceptible to your grass attacks! Go get 'im!"

Grumpy puffed out a cloud of spores, rendering the Barboach useless on the shore. She followed it up with Leech Seed, which drained her opponent's health twice as fast as normal. 'Take that!' Grumpy said triumphantly. She turned to Edith. 'Did you see that? Did you? That was great! I am the master!' As she spoke, she began to glow, and Edith gasped.

Her pokemon's body stretched upwards, thinning and elongating. Grumpy's head flattened into a mushroom shape, and her legs rounded with new muscles. And... 'Arms! I grew arms!' Grumpy said happily. She waved the thin appendages around for good measure. 'Look! Look at these!' She picked up a stick, put it down, picked it up again, and threw it. Edith was about to comment on how her nickname no longer suited her when Grumpy's face turned devious. 'Just wait till Sly gets a look at these! I can get him back for all those jokes…all those pranks!'

"According to my Pokedex, you should have a much stronger fighting ability now," Edith informed her pokemon. Grumpy experimentally punched the air. "We should work on those new skills!"

Years of training with fighting pokemon in a dojo flooded back to Edith, and she grinned with the sudden nostalgia. She set an easy pace for them and took off running south along Route 114. They passed by other lakes, surrounded by fishermen, and stopped here and there to battle. Grumpy was elated, going so far as to attempt to pick up her opponents before beating them. In between battles, Edith stopped them to do jumping jacks, pushups, and punches, before running off again. It was still cool along the water, and the ash didn't appear to float over this route, so it was easy going. Every 20 minutes Edith would stop them to rest, but before long, Grumpy would inevitably be up and running again in her excitement.

By late afternoon they had passed through most of the lakes, including a massive one spanned by a sturdy wooden dock. Grumpy was hunched over the water, admiring her new body once again when Edith noticed the house on the edge of the lake.

"That must be where Lanette lives! We haven't seen any other houses the whole way here. C'mon, Grumpy." They jogged the rest of the way across the lake and came up to the house. It was one story, with cheerful wood paneling and flowers beneath the windows. "Be sure to stretch," Edith advised Grumpy, and they stood in Lanette's front yard and stretched before Edith gathered Grumpy back into her pokeball.

At that moment, Lanette opened one of the windows to water her flowers and noticed Edith. "Hey you! Aren't you that girl I met in the Pokemon Center in Fallarbor?"

"I am!" Edith approached the door. "I came to visit on my way to Meteor Falls!"

Inside, the house was welcoming and homey, if more than a little cluttered. Lanette ushered her into what appeared to be the only room other than the bedroom and kitchen and shoved some empty disc cases onto the floor to make room for Edith to sit. The room was cramped with a small table, couch, TV, and several computers trailing cords across the floor. Every available surface had notebooks, discs, or other scientific paraphernalia obscuring its surface.

"I'll get some coffee," Lanette offered, and bustled into the kitchen to set about making it. Edith glanced around the room politely, curious about the wall of computers she could hear gently humming. One of them was on, and Edith could make out an open message that read "Your storage system offers more convenience than mine. It has a lot of user-friendly features that make it fun and useful, too. It makes me proud that I played a part in its development. Here's hoping that you'll continue research in Storage Systems. From Bill."

Lanette returned with two mugs and set one in front of Edith. It read "World's Best Programmer." Lanette's mug had a chip in the rim and a drawing of a Zigzagoon on the side. "So!" She cleared a space on a three-legged stool and sat down heavily. "How are you liking north Hoenn?"

Edith took a sip of her coffee. "Well, I couldn't believe how much ash came down over Route 113! But Fallarbor is a lovely little town. It seems like it would be a very peaceful place, although right now the residents seem a little…suspicious."

Lanette nodded. "I noticed that myself when I was in town. Professor Cozmo, a friend of mine who lives in town, has been getting trouble from some shady types lately. I haven't heard from him in a while, and I know the townfolk are wary of those thugs hanging around. I know Cozmo, and he has a tendency to go wandering without a second thought to telling anyone his plans, but him not being around combined with those hoodlums does make me nervous."

Edith gritted her teeth reflexively. There it was again: mysterious, dangerous people menacing her peaceful life. She shouldn't get involved; how could she not get involved? "I heard that they were also talking about something happening in Meteor Falls. Since that's where I'm headed, I'll keep an eye out for any sign of him." She shut her mouth with a snap. What was she thinking, volunteering to go after the bad guys?

"I would really appreciate that. And I would also really appreciate your thoughts on the Pokemon Storage System!" Lanette leaned forward eagerly. "It's my baby, but I am always looking for fresh ideas for improvement. Have you been using it much?"

"I use it fairly often; mostly when I catch a new pokemon. I have a pretty set team at the moment, so I transfer new pokemon from the field directly into my storage boxes. It's been very easy to use, and I like the decorative and organizational features."

Lanette grabbed a notepad, ripped off the top page of scribbles, and fished a pen out of a pile of keychains. "Do you experience any difficulty like lag, ignored commands, and so on, when you use the system?"

"Not that I know of. I haven't lost any pokemon being transferred remotely, and it's a very fast program when it comes to depositing, withdrawing, and moving pokemon." Lanette wrote furiously, bushy pigtails shaking on her shoulders. "How long have you been working on the system, Lanette?" Edith asked.

"Oh, let's see…the preliminary system has been around for years. I've been programming for fun since I was a little girl, and I always loved pokemon, so my sister and I worked to develop the basics from an early age. After we worked out the major kinks in transporting pokemon remotely, we began to fine-tune the controls, user preferences, networking…" she noticed Edith's polite grin. "Sorry, I sometimes get lost in my own technobabble."

"I heard that you were working with a programmer from another region to improve the system," Edith said.

"Oh yes, Bill!" Lanette grinned proudly. "Bill, the pokemon programmer himself, contacted me out of the blue a few years ago to ask about my system! He said that I had made some amazing developments and wanted to ask me how I had done it. I must admit, considering how long I have admired Bill, if feels like a dream to speak directly to him!"

Edith grinned. Bill was just as enthusiastic about his work as Lanette was about hers. "You must get along well together."

"Well, a hefty dose of hero worship probably doesn't hurt," Lanette laughed. She glanced at the clock, which was propped against the wall on top of a cabinet and partially obscured by a stack of books. "I know you said you were going to Meteor Falls, but it's getting rather late. If you'd like, you're welcome to stay here for the night and head out there tomorrow!"

The sun was mostly below the horizon when Edith looked out the window. "That would be nice, if it's not too much trouble for you."

Lanette fished a spare futon out of the closet and set up Edith in the guest room upstairs. The guest room, while marginally cleaner, was still a study in clutter. After depositing her things upstairs, Edith met Lanette in the kitchen, where the older woman was microwaving frozen dinners and hastily washing some spare cutlery. They ate perched on the edge of a threadbare couch, surrounded by worn pillows.

In the morning, Edith finally discovered what had been bothering her. "Lanette, do you have any pokemon?"

Lanette momentarily forgot about the oatmeal she was stirring and looked searchingly out the window. "This may seem strange, coming from the person who developed the means to electronically store and manage a collection of pokemon, but I don't catch any pokemon. None of them belong to me. But there are pokemon out in the world who are my companions. I always give them my love and affection when they see fit to visit me. We continue our lives separately, but that doesn't mean we are not often together." She shook herself out of her reverie and grinned at Edith. "Pretty deep, I know."

"I think it's beautiful," Edith said seriously.

On the way out, Lanette ran back into the house and made an impressive racket looking for something. Minutes later she returned with an adorable plush Lotad doll.

"I wanted to thank you for, uh, not saying anything about my Rattata's nest of a house." She handed the doll to Edith.

"Wow, thanks! It's so cute!" Edith exclaimed, giving the plush an experimental squeeze. "But…I don't know if I have space to carry it in my pack," she said sadly.

Lanette giggled. "Good thing you're hanging out with a programming whiz! I'll just electronically transfer it to your PC, so you can retrieve it whenever you get home."

"Thank you, Lanette!" They hugged.

"Keep an eye out for Cozmo, okay?"

ooooo

Edith was actually glad when the grassy hills gave way to outright rock outcroppings, because the strenuous climbing warmed her up after the cool walk in the morning. She secretly wished that she had a bird pokemon with her, so it could fly her right where she needed to be. As it was, she had shed her sweater, tugged on some fingerless gloves, and stuffed Steven's handmade map in easy reach on her belt. Although she was only in the foothills, the rocky terrain apparently held enough interest for Steven, as he had multiple notations jotted in for this section of the map. She dutifully looked at the locations that were closest to her as she climbed, but so far had found nothing of particular interest. Then again, she wasn't a fossil maniac.

Sometime before lunch, she discovered the entrance to Meteor Falls and slipped inside. It was damper than she had expected, but the dim coolness prompted her to put on her sweatshirt again. Following, Steven's directions, she passed by melted rockfalls and jagged boulders until she came to a yawning cave.

It was wide and tall, dimmer than the rest of the cave she had come through. What light did enter, however, reflected off the walls to reveal pure beauty. The cave walls glittered with striated, powdery rock peppered with gold and silver flecks. The ground was dotted with smooth, milky pebbles from palest pink to opalescent white. Edith began to walk along the wall, hesitantly trailing her hand along the stone, and let her eyes soak in the dim radiance.

She soon came across a curious structure carved out of the rock. Although Steven would not leave behind tools or trash in the places he visited, it appeared he was not above making them more suitable for him. The formation was throne-like, elegantly shaped and polished, and still mostly connected to the wall it had been carved from. It shared the same glimmer as the walls, and had been set with semi-precious gems along the armrests. Edith sat and found it surprisingly comfortable. The chair was more reclined than she expected, which was when she noticed the ceiling of the cave.

Set high above the ground were hundreds of glimmering stones winking cheerfully in the soft light. Edith exhaled in awe, at once reminded of both the night sky and Sly's gemstone eyes. She smiled at the memory of how she had met the Sableye; Steven had been with her then. Half-dreaming, she allowed herself to bask in the quiet glory of the cave.

She wasn't sure how long it had been when she heard the shout. It sounded muffled, as if it had come from very far away, but it was enough to shake her from her daydream. Edith jumped to her feet and ran to the mouth of the cave. There was another shout, followed by many voices. She released Glade, pressed a finger to her lips, and stole quietly through the cave towards the sound.


	13. Chapter 13

This story is only for my own personal amusement!

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 13

ooooo

The noises continued, and as Edith and Glade neared the source, it became obvious that there was a struggle between at least two men up ahead. Glade shot Edith a concerned look. She grimaced in response. They were crossing a crude bridge over a quick-flowing stream when the conversation became clear.

"Please, please, don't hurt me…I'll do anything you ask, but you have to understand about the Meteorite…you can't…that thing in Mount Chimney will…"

Edith crept closer to the voice and saw a pudgy, graying man huddled on the floor in front of two men in black and red sweaters. Her heart froze, and in that moment, the man who must be Professor Cozmo looked up and saw her face. He was too slow to conceal his shocked expression, and the Magma grunts turned towards her.

"Hey!" one of them cried. "I don't know who you are, but if you think you're going to steal our Meteorite, you've got another thing coming!"

Discovered, Edith stood up to face him. "Let Professor Cozmo go!"

The other grunt cracked his knuckles and palmed a pokeball. "If you get in the way of Team Magma, don't expect any mercy!"

Edith signaled for Glade, but he was already flanking her in response to more noises behind them.

"Hold it right there, Team Magma!" came another voice. Edith whipped around to see three men in familiar blue scarves and striped shirts. "You're badly mistaken if you think you can have your way with the world!" They advanced, and Edith fell back to stand with the professor while the two Teams faced off.

The bulkier of the Magma grunts laughed, and his eyes flicked from Edith to the Team Aqua grunts. "Even Team Aqua joins us! But it's too much trouble to deal with you all." He signaled to his comrade, who fell into step with him as they marched out of the cave. "It doesn't matter, anyway," he called over his shoulder. "We've got the Meteorite, so off to Mount Chimney we go!" Their laughter faded down the corridor as they ran.

The two Aqua grunts looked ready to give chase, but their leader was looking curiously at Edith. "Didn't I see you before? At the Slateport Museum?" He helped her, then Professor Cozmo, to their feet.

Edith looked at him suspiciously. "Yes, I was with Captain Stern in the museum." She remembered his face as she spoke; this was Archie, the leader of Team Aqua.

Archie was apparently having a similar revelation. "Ahh, yes, your name is Edie. At the time, I thought you were one of Team Magma's goons." He snorted with obvious distaste. "Team Magma is a dangerous group of total fanatics. They engage in destruction, claiming to expand the land mass!" He gestured widely, obviously used to making this sort of grandiose speech. "They are rivals, to us, the sea-loving Team Aqua!"

Edith did not react, but one of the grunts stepped forward apologetically. "Boss, we should give chase to Team Magma…"

Archie nodded. "Yes, yes, we must! We've got to hurry. There's no telling what Team Magma will do at Mount Chimney!" He looked seriously at Edith. "Edie, you should keep an eye out for Team Magma, too. Farewell." With a last stately look, he whirled away and jogged out of the cave, his two minions hot on his heels.

When they were completely out of sight, Edith turned to Professor Cozmo, who had sat down heavily and was fanning himself. "Professor?" she called. "Are you all right?"

He looked at her unfocusedly. "I…I'm Cozmo…I'm a professor…Team Magma asked me to guide them to Meteor Falls…But they tricked me," he babbled. Edith helped him to his feet and took his handkerchief from his shaking hand. "They even took my Meteorite away," he continued as she blotted his forehead and directed him out of the cave. "I don't understand any of it. Team Magma…what are they going to do with that Meteorite at Mount Chimney?"

They made it back to the entrance of the falls. Fortunately, by then the professor was strong enough to stand on his own and they were able to begin the laborious task of climbing down to the foothills. He kept repeating himself, and Edith soon wondered if maybe he had taken a blow or two to the head.

When they reached Lanette's house, he automatically turned up the walk, then stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so used to coming here that I just did it without thinking…"

"No, no, I think it might be a good idea," Edith replied. "You've had quite an ordeal, so some rest would probably be a good idea."

The professor nodded. "Aren't you coming too, then?"

"I…I have to get back to Fallarbor," she murmured.

"And go after Team Magma, no doubt," he said, nodding. "But don't you worry; we will give the proper authorities a call and send them to Mount Chimney right away!"

"Right, of course. Go after Team Magma." Edith grimaced. "Take care of yourself, professor." They shook hands.

"Thank you for rescuing me, Edie. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along…"

ooooo

Edith stumbled back to Fallarbor in a daze, arriving late at the Pokemon Center and falling into bed. She woke early the next morning and left town as the sun rose, bleary-eyed but wanting to get away from Meteor Falls as soon as possible. The farmers were already at work on their plots as she passed, but some still regarded her suspiciously. Professor Cozmo's return had not yet reached town.

When ash began to float down around her, she took a brief break to eat a granola bar and put on her rain gear. She dutifully affixed her Soot Sack, then pulled on gloves. For the next several hours, she walked tirelessly through the thick, dusty underbrush until she came across a familiar sight.

The Glassblower and his apprentice _had_ asked her to stop by on her way back. Plus, her walk had cooled what panic remained from the day before. She knocked on the door. Sammie appeared a moment later.

"Edie! I was wondering if you'd be by. How was your trip to Fallarbor? Did you get your hand checked out?" As she quizzed Edith, she ushered her inside and helped her remove her dusty gear.

"I had a nice time in Fallarbor," Edith allowed. "I met my friend and also Lanette, the woman who developed the pokemon storage system!" She handed the Soot Sack to Sammie. Also, I brought you a little something."

Sammie accepted the bag and weighed it in her hands. "This is definitely enough to make something small! I'll bring it to Richard and meet you in the kitchen." She bustled off down the hallway, and Edith went to the kitchen, where she found the beginnings of a macaroni salad.

When Sammie returned, she once again set about chopping up vegetables and mixing them into the macaroni. "Richard should be at a stopping point by the time this is ready." She seized a bottle of mayonnaise and began to drizzle it over the salad. Edith helpfully stirred the noodles. "So, how's your friend? What's the news in town?"

"My friend is just fine. He's nerding out over some rocks or something. The news in town is…" Richard came into the room, wiping his face with a towel. "…that some thugs have been harassing Professor Cozmo. Have you heard of Team Magma?"

Richard scowled ferociously and served himself lunch with more force than was strictly necessary. "Yeah, I know 'em," he growled. "They came by a week or so ago and tried to strongarm me into helping them with something. I told 'em to take a hike."

"He _made_ them take a hike by throwing them out the door," Sammie corrected.

Richard merely shrugged. "I won't have hooligans coming 'round my home and threatening me to help them cause trouble."

Edith nodded emphatically. "Well, I found them in Meteor Falls with Professor Cozmo and confronted them. They left, but I don't think they're done causing trouble."

"I'm sure you can handle it, but please be careful if you run into them again. They're fanatics of some sort, which means they could be more dangerous than your average thug."

_Fanatics more dangerous than your average thug…like, say, the petty criminals of Team Rocket? Why, oh why do I keep getting involved in this mess?_ Edith took a bite to keep from responding.

She excused herself when they were finished eating. "I'm sorry to eat and run, but I want to make it out of this route by nightfall."

Richard stood and nodded to Sammie, who hurried out of the room. "Before you go, I have something for you, in exchange for the soot you brought." Sammie handed her the now-empty Soot Sack and a gorgeous blue flute.

"It's lovely," Edith said appreciatively, gently touching the smooth, translucent glass. "But how did you have time to make this so quickly?"

"He made it soon after you left," said Sammie.

"What can I say, I have a soft spot for pretty women!" Richard said with a grin.

"You perv!" Sammie accused, glaring at him.

"Now, now," Richard said, holding up his hands in defense. "When you're my age and have your own apprentice, you can make jokes about pretty women all you like!"

Sammie colored and abruptly shoved Edith into the entryway. Richard's laughter followed them. "It was good to see you again," Sammie said to the floor, hastily handing Edith her coat and boots. "Come visit if you can, okay?"

"I will," Edith promised, allowing herself to be hustled out the door.

"We'll watch for your Elite Four challenge on TV!" Sammie called as her friend was swallowed by the ever-present ash.

Around sunset, or what she assumed was sunset as they gray gloom became even darker, Edith caught a flash of something in the bushes. She immediately released Glade, who sniffed experimentally before pointing to the hidden quarry.

"Put a water gun there," Edith directed quietly.

Glade obeyed, and their target exploded out of the bushes, squawking.

"A Skarmory! Awesome!" Edith cried. "Glade, use Water Gun to weaken it so I can capture it!"

Glade dove after it, shooting jets of water that knocked it off balance. The Skarmory responded with pecks, bites, and kicks that slowed Glade down. Soon they were trading blows in a soggy mess of ash and trampled bushes. Edith readied a pokeball. Skarmory lashed out with a powerful steel wing. Instead of dodging, Glade turned into the attack and met it with his own blow. The bird pokemon recoiled, shaking its now-injured wing, and Edith captured it.

"Well done, Glade! I know just who to name it after, too," Edith gave her pokemon's head a congratulatory scratch. "Oh, you're all muddy," she said, looking at her hand.

'Give me a hug,' Glade suggested evilly, and shuffled over to her.

"Oh nooooo," Edith protested as her pokemon's arms encircled her legs, leaving behind a muddy smear. "You better be glad these are waterproof."

The sun was well below the horizon when Edith deemed them far enough away from the ash to camp. She gratefully shrugged out of her protective clothing and gave it a good shake before packing it away. She released Grumpy first, then her other pokemon.

They gasped collectively when they saw Grumpy's evolution.

'Now I have arms to fight with,' she told them, and threw a mischievous look at Sly. 'Plus,' she delicately selected a slice of berry, 'I can eat with my hands!'

'Instead of your face,' Sly snickered. Grumpy smacked him with her powerful tail, and he laughed. 'At least you didn't get a new attitude.'

The next day was hours of walking. Edith barely stopped to eat and rest, and made excellent time back towards the cable car. As night fell, she began to look for a campsite, and was struck with an idea.

She released Waltz. "How would you like to learn a technical move? It's an attack that you learn from a machine instead of on your own."

_That sounds interesting. What kind of move is it?_

"It's called Secret Power. Supposedly, you can use it outside of battle to find hidden caves and holes for camping." She fished the TM out of her bag. "Shall we give it a shot?" Waltz nodded, so Edith opened the capsule and held it near her pokemon's head. The machine whirred briefly, and Waltz's eyelids fluttered as the information was transferred to her.

_That was…intense_, Waltz said when it was finished. _It's like I've always known how to do it._

"Can you show me,?" Edith asked.

Waltz hummed, closed her eyes, and concentrated. When she opened her eyes, they glowed blue-white. _Over there…_ said Waltz dreamily, pointing to a copse of trees. _There's a tent-sized nook in one of those trees._ She walked towards them slowly and finally placed her hand on one of the trees. _The way will open for us…_ she said, mostly to herself. A sturdy vine suddenly descended from the branches. _The way will open for us,_ she repeated, and let go of the power.

"You did it! That was so cool, Waltz!" Edith told her pokemon. "Let's see what's inside." She recalled Waltz and shimmied up the vine. Among the leaves, she found a nest of branches thick enough to resemble a floor and a thick leaf cover overhead. She hesitantly released her team, but they all fit and the floor showed no signs of strain.

Edith discovered the only problem when she laid down. She groaned. "How am I supposed to sleep on this lumpy bark?"

ooooo

In the morning, she awoke when she rolled onto a particularly gnarled branch. Although she hadn't slept well, she knew she couldn't sleep any more and recalled her pokemon to start walking again. The way was familiar now, and she made good time, reaching the foothills of Mount Chimney after lunch. Fortunately, when she approached the cable car this time, the way was clear.

The station was small and well-kept, with one lonely woman in charge of the whole place. She was eating lunch when Edith arrived, and immediately jumped up to prepare the car.

"I'm so sorry to make you wait!" she cried frantically, running to and fro hitting buttons. Edith was reminded of a caged Nidoran. "I wasn't expecting anyone else!"

"There's no rush," Edith protested. "You can finish your lunch! I can wait."

The operator had already finished the preparations and hit a buzzer. "That lets them know upstairs that someone is coming up." It sounded almost like a threat. She pushed open the gate and directed Edith inside. "We ask…" she appeared to be deciding something. "We ask that you don't release pokemon inside, as they may go over the weight limit." The operator firmly closed the door and went to the control panel.

Edith sat down on the warm seat inside and tried to relax as the car shuddered to life. The lift operator was giving her such a glare that it was hard to. She wondered what had happened to upset the woman so much.

For the next hour, she looked out the window as the ground fell away and the scenery changed from woods to red-black rock. Hoenn was proving to be a lovely region. She was dozing when the car suddenly jerked and stopped. A man pushed the door open.

"Welcome to the peak! Did you have a nice ride?" he asked.

Edith poorly concealed a yawn behind her hand. "It was wonderful." She left the car and shivered. "It's much colder up here!"

"Indeed it is," the operator agreed, moving to check on the car and controls while she tugged on her sweater. He glanced at her sweater suspiciously, but seemed relieved by what he saw. "Listen, um," he scratched his head nervously. "They said they would hurt me if I did anything, but I can't just let you go walking out unprepared, so-"

"Who?" Edith half-whispered.

"It's Team Magma. And Team Aqua. I don't know where they came from, but yesterday they suddenly wanted to come upstairs and we had to run the cars all day. I hit the emergency switch, but help never came. It's just me and Tamiko out here, and our shift lasts for a month at a time before the replacements arrive. We're alone out here, you see, and neither of us has any pokemon, so we had to obey them! We couldn't fight back!"

Edith cut off his panicked babbling. "I understand. You don't have to explain yourself to me. I have some…experience confronting these guys, so I'm willing to go out there and take a look, all right?" She patted his shoulder awkwardly. "You did just fine. Just wait here and I'll take care of it."

When she left the station, the intercom crackled to life. "Felix…Felix, are you all right? Is she one of them?"

The operator ran to the intercom. "No, Tamiko, she's a trainer. But she said she knows how to deal with them. She's going to help us!"

ooooo

Outside, on Mt. Chimney, it was cold and breezy. Ash floated in the air, making Edith frown with displeasure. Across the flat peak, she could make out shapes adorned in either garish red or blue. However, they appeared to be already wrapped up in fighting each other.

She snuck from boulder to boulder, avoiding the heated battles. The grunts were yelling at each other, each parroting their leader's philosophy.

"If there were more land, I could have a house of my own!" One woman shouted as her Poochyena tackled her opponent's. "I'd build it on top of the hardened lava!"

"Fool!" shouted a familiar voice. Edith saw Archie battling a horde of Magma grunts. She released Glade and walked up next to him. "Ahh, Edie, I guessed you would show up. And with your water pokemon, too," he said appreciatively. Glade sniffed at him. "See for yourself what the fanatics of Team Magma are up to! They're trying to inject the stolen Meteorite's power into the volcano! Doing something like that will cause the volcano's eruption!"

"That can't happen," Edith growled. "Where is the Meteorite now?"

Archie pointed ahead. "Tabitha has already taken the Meteorite to Maxie, who is waiting at the edge of the caldera. I can hold off these grunts here while you slip ahead."

Edith nodded and motioned to Glade. They sped past the grunts still embroiled in a battle with Archie's pokemon and rushed towards the woman on the path ahead. She turned and smirked at them.

"You're too late! I've already delivered the Meteorite to the boss! If our leader awakens that thing…" she moved to release a pokemon to fight, but Edith was faster. She slapped Tabitha's hand away from her belt and struck the other woman hard enough to knock her out. Edith unceremoniously propped the still form against a boulder and moved on.

As she came up the path towards the caldera, she heard low muttering ahead. "The power contained in the Meteorite...By amplifying its power with this machine, Mount Chimney's volcanic activity will instantly intensify...Its energy will grow deep inside the crater and..."

The speaker looked up and noticed Edith before she could knock him out. Jumping away, he released an enormous dog pokemon and held up his hands defensively. "Hm? Who are you? I'd heard Archie bemoaning a child who's been meddling in Team Aqua's affairs. It must be you he meant. Humph! So you're thinking of interfering with us, Team Magma?" He stepped forward, and his pokemon growled menacingly at Glade, who stood his ground. "Now you listen. Long ago, living things used the land to live and grow. That is why land is all important! It is the cradle of all! That is why Team Magma is dedicated to the expansion of the land mass. It is for further advancement of humankind and pokemon! And for that, we need the power of what sleeps within this mountain..."

"That's madness!" retorted Edith. "If you cause the volcano to erupt, you'll destroy the lives and homes of both people and pokemon who live here! Who will benefit if they are all dead?"

Maxie laughed and brushed a strand of thick red hair out of his face. "There was no need for you to learn that much, especially since you can't see the truth of our plan. But, no matter! I'll teach you the consequences of meddling in our grand design! Mightyena, attack!"

"Glade!" Edith called, and he leapt in front of her.

Maxie's Mightyena swiped a pawful of sand into Glade's eyes. Glade growled and staggered back, blinded. He responded by turning the sand into mud and shooting it right back, but the Mightyena appeared unaffected. He darted forward and sank his teeth into Glade's left leg. Glade shot more mud at Mightyena, who couldn't shake it from his eyes fast enough and missed Glade by mere inches. Glade pushed himself away.

'I can't see a thing,' he told Edith. 'I'm no good; you have to switch me out!'

Edith recalled him and sent out Sly. "Night Shade," she directed.

Mightyena returned, jaws snapping, and got Sly twice on the shadow-stuff that made up his body. Meanwhile, Sly was concentrating on his continued attack. Edith dove forward and sprayed him with a Potion. He barely seemed to notice, so firmly was he concentrated on continuing Night Shade. Mightyena bit him a third time before collapsing from the shimmering darkness that was Sly's attack.

Maxie recalled his pokemon with a grunt. He brushed imaginary lint from his finely tailored suit and sniffed. "You clearly have some aptitude for battling. It's a pity it does not extend to your comprehension skills." He released a Zubat, and Edith recalled Sly in favor of Zippy.

"I understand perfectly well what your misguided plan is. I just won't allow you to carry it out. Zippy, use Spark!"

Zippy jumped, already charged, and caught the Zubat unawares. It shook with electricity and collapsed. Maxie snarled in annoyance and sent out his final pokemon, an evolved Numel. Edith changed Zippy for Glade to keep her type advantage.

"Can you see now, Glade?" she asked. He nodded. "Then hit this thing with Water Gun until it's out."

"Camerupt is not as delicate as Numel," Maxie cautioned. "Take it down!" he instructed his pokemon.

Camerupt barreled forward, bashing its head into Glade's midsection even as he sprayed a stream of water into its face. Glade was up first, continuing his attack, and the barrage slowed Camerupt in its tracks. It didn't make it more than a few steps before collapsing.

Maxie recalled Camerupt with a feral twist to his lips. He moved forward as if to attack Edith, and both she and Glade glared at him challengingly. He looked over her shoulder and seemed to reconsider. "I will back off this time," Maxie said slowly. "But don't think that this is the last you've seen of Team Magma. Even without the Meteorite, if we obtain that orb…" he chuckled, and shoved past her. Edith turned to follow him and saw Archie with his grunts.

Archie allowed Maxie to pass and rejoin his now beaten team. "Edie! Thank you! With your help, we thwarted Team Magma's destructive plan."

Edith nodded. "I could not let them do something so cataclysmic to the land."

The older man frowned slightly. To himself, he said quietly, "But you…whose side are you on?" Louder, he said, "Ah, it doesn't matter!" He turned to address his gathered grunts, who were watching the pair with rapt attention. "We will remain vigilant and keep up our pursuit of Team Magma! Edie, we shall meet again!"

Edith watched the costumed people run away down the path, then sat down. Glade came to her side immediately.

'Are you alright?'

She exhaled shakily and leaned her head against a boulder. "My legs feel like Jigglypuff pudding. What are we doing, Glade?"

He also sat down. 'We're fighting the bad guys. Keeping them from doing bad things. Doing what's right.'

"I was afraid of that," she said, staring blankly across the caldera. Ash fluttered down and stuck to her cheeks. "It doesn't usually end well, you know."

Glade shrugged. 'It has to end better than it would if no one tried to stop them.'

"Glade, you're my starter pokemon, so I feel the closest to you out of all my pokemon. If something were to happen to you…" She swallowed thickly and looked away. "Well, I just want you to know that I won't let anything happen to you."

'I know that,' Glade said somberly. 'Just like I won't let anything happen to you.'


	14. Chapter 14

Nothing in this belongs to me but the epic stylings of Ms. Edith.

ooooo

Yesterday & Today

Chapter 14

Edith collected herself and climbed to her feet. Glade watched her carefully as she staggered over to the machine that Maxie had been hunched over. What she assumed was the Meteorite was stuck in the center of the machine, and glowing panels and cables suggested that whatever it was, it was still on. She glanced at Glade, who shrugged.

'You can probably just take the Meteorite out.'

"Well, if anything happens, you run back to the cable car and get help." She grasped the Meteorite, which was a jagged, blood red stone whose edges had been smoothed with time. It came out of the machine with surprisingly little pressure, and the lights immediately went dark.

'That was easy,' Glade remarked.

Edith put the Meteorite into her pack. "I guess I'll hold onto this until I can give it to someone trustworthy. I'd return it to Professor Cozmo, but since he was targeted that first time…"

'You'll think of something.'

They set off the way the Aqua and Magma grunts had already escaped. The farther they got from the caldera, the chillier it became, until Edith put on her gloves and tied another scarf over her hair. "How long have we been up here, anyway? The sun will be setting soon," she grumbled.

"It always sets earlier in the mountains," said an unfamiliar voice. "But I have just the thing to warm you up!"

An elderly woman, so stooped with age she barely reached Edith's waist, beckoned to them from behind a push cart. She pointed at the sign hung on the front of the cart, which helpfully read "LAVA COOKIES: A LAVARIDGE SPECIALTY!"

Edith and Glade approached the cart. The woman held out a rice cracker, browned and baked in sauce and wrapped in a festive red package. "These are my one-of-a-kind Lavaridge Lava Cookies! I've been selling them to travelers on Mount Chimney for as long as I can remember. It's a family recipe!"

Edith picked up a package of eight cookies. "There's enough for each of my pokemon."

"And extra for yourself and a special someone! These cookies are bound to lift your spirits, even in the coldest weather. Maybe not if you're a miserly, thug, though," she muttered to herself.

"Hm?" Edith looked up sharply. "Did some thugs come by?"

The old woman tightened her shawl around herself. "They've been out and about for days now. First they wouldn't let the police answer a distress call at the cable car, then they started fighting with each other! And all of them in ridiculous outfits!" She huffed and unnecessarily tidied her wares. "Not a one of them bought any of my cookies."

'She should be grateful they left her alone,' Glade said wryly.

"Did any of them come by here just now?" Edith asked, paying for the package.

"A few, yes, on their way into town, I imagine. Not that I wish them on anybody, really, but I'm glad they are out of here."

Edith took her change. "Thank you for the cookies. Is this the way to Lavaridge?"

The old woman pointed a gnarled hand towards what appeared to be a sheer drop. "That's the quickest route, there. It's a fair bit of climbing, so these old legs can't do it anymore, but a spry thing like you should handle it just fine. Take care, dear."

"I will. Thank you."

At the cliff, Edith looked down to see a steep, rocky path leading to the town. She glanced at Glade. "Listen, buddy, I don't think your stubby legs are gonna be able to handle this."

'I didn't want to climb all that way anyway.'

She rolled her eyes and recalled him, then began the tricky business of getting down the slope. The rock was relatively sturdy, so the climbing was safe, but strenuous. Several times she caught sight of other trainers working with their pokemon in the tall grass off the climbing path. She considered going herself to see what she could scare up for her Pokedex, but decided against it. All she wanted at the moment was a warm bed.

At one point, she saw a familiar black and red sweater out of the corner of her eye. She shimmied over to that side of the path. "Hey! You!"

The Magma grunt looked over in fear. "What are you doing here!" she demanded.

"Me?" Edith replied incredulously. "What are _you_ doing here!"

"What business of it is yours?" the grunt shot back, then scampered into the bushes. Edith groaned.

"What was I thinking? Stupid, stupid," she berated herself. "I'm way too tired to chase after her." She grumpily returned to the path.

Night had fallen by the time she reached the bottom of the cliff. Looking up, she saw that it was not only daunting due to the sheer height, but absolutely terrifying in the dark. She was stretching her tired limbs when a picnicker walked by.

"Are you a trainer?"

"Yes," Edith said, leaning down to touch her toes.

"Do you want to battle?"

"No," she said, head pressed to her knees. "I really don't."

"C'mon! The trainer's oath is that you have to accept challenges! Battle me!" The girl released a round, gray pokemon balancing on its thick, springy tail.

Edith groaned. "Oh, all right already. Let's do this, Zippy,"

Zippy barked. 'Here we go!' She sprang forward, narrowly missing her opponent as it jumped away on its tail.

Edith pulled out her Pokedex. "Spoink, powerful tail, very quick, can be stunned. Okay, Zippy, hit it with Thunderwave!"

Zippy lashed out with a low level, far-reaching burst of electricity. The Spoink was caught in it and immediately slowed its bouncing. It reacted by leaping straight towards Zippy, hoping to tackle her before she could take advantage of its slowed speed. Instead, Zippy charged up and ran forward to meet the attacker, headbutting it right in the pink pearl it carried on its head.

The pearl cracked against Spoink's head, knocking it out. The picnicker recalled it with a pout. "Why did you say you didn't want to battle if you were so good at it?" She stalked away.

"Because I'm completely exhausted," Edith groaned. She moved to recall Zippy when the green pokemon began to glow. "Oh, here's something."

Zippy looked at her. 'All this extra electricity…'

Her body thickened and stretched, growing taller and becoming more blue than green. The most significant change was her electric conductor, which changed from cloud-shaped to peaked and now rested directly on top of her head.

"Wow, Zippy!" Edith took some notes with the Pokedex. "That's amazing!"

'I feel much stronger now,' Zippy said. She stretched her new legs and gave her head an experimental roll. 'My conductor feels funny. Like it's already a little charged…'

"Well, at least something great came out of today," Edith concluded. She recalled Zippy and followed the lanterns into town. Before bed, she broke out the Lava Cookies to share with her team. They crunched into them in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. Edith began to cough, then scrambled frantically for her water.

A passing nurse stopped. "You must be a visitor to town."

Edith nodded, unable to speak past the coughing. She gestured wildly with the cracker.

"The Lava Cookie is made with a special blend of soy sauce and chili powder, so it's much spicier than normal crackers," the nurse explained. "I'll bring you some more water."

Edith coughed and chugged down more water. Her pokemon were in a similar situation, except for Sly, who appeared to be enjoying the cracker immensely. He took the remaining crackers from the others and ate them with relish.

ooooo

Something about the atmosphere in the morning made Edith feel more relaxed than she had in a while. Although it had only been a few weeks since she began her journey, the constant run-ins with Team Aqua and Magma had worn her nerves down. Here in Lavaridge, however, she knew she was going to finally meet up with Brendan and hopefully get a little R&R before she had to out into the world again. Hopefully by the time that happened, the authorities would have caught up to the nefarious organizations and stopped them for good.

She was going to give Brendan a call when she noticed a familiar white, spiky cap in the mess hall. Crouching, she snuck across the room and placed her hands on his shoulders suddenly, shouting, "Boo!"

"Aaahhh!" Brendan dropped his spoon and fell out of his chair. Edith collapsed with giggles, and soon the both of them were sitting on the floor laughing uncontrollably. The few other travelers in the room politely ignored the scene.

"Hi again," Edith said shyly. "It's been awhile."

"It has," Brendan agreed. He put his arm around her shoulders and impulsively gave her a kiss. They stayed like that for several minutes, until Edith pulled away and righted Brendan's chair.

"Sorry about that. I didn't think you would jump quite so far."

"I'm a nervous guy, I guess."

They walked outside, and Edith finally got a good look at the town. The houses were simple and rustic, but more modern and fashionable than those in Fallarbor. Everywhere small businesses were opening up to sell their unique wares, and bigger buildings proclaimed to have the cleanest, clearest water in town.

"Hot springs," Edith said dreamily. "This is the best town."

Brendan glanced at her with a grin. "I was thinking we could wander around town in the morning, and find a nice spring in the afternoon."

Edith didn't need any convincing. "Done. Let's go!"

For the next three days, they explored every available nook and cranny in the morning, tried a different hot spring in the afternoon, and fumbled around in semi-private areas until Edith finally said, "We need to get a room."

Edith had never felt so relaxed. She told Brendan an edited version of her trip to Fallarbor, including the wonderful glittering cave that Steven had showed her. Brendan told her about his exploration in the desert which was mostly his unsuccessful search for the Mirage Tower. The water in the hot springs was slowly working out the knots in Edith's tired muscles, and even her pokemon were being pampered by the Pokemon Center's local spring.

On the morning of the fourth day, as Edith was pulling on a shirt, she casually remarked, "So, have you challenged Flannery yet?"

Brendan couldn't stop his grin. "I have."

"…And?"

He folded his hands over his stomach. "I beat her."

Edith smothered him into the mattress. "Congratulations!" She fluttered her eyelashes. "Got any advice for me?"

"Be prepared to lose. Many times." He groaned. "She's so tough! I can't believe how hard it was. Even finding her in the gym is a chore, so by the time you get to her room you're exhausted."

"I'll keep that in mind." Edith grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "Are you coming or will you sleep a little more?"

His reply was muffled by a pillow. "Sleeeep. I'll meet you after lunch at the spring, okay?"

"See you then." She slipped on her shoes and left.

After picking up some replacement supplies from the many local herbal supplement shops, Edith had a delicious lunch of noodles and fried vegetables, then went to the hot spring where she had planned to meet Brendan. This was the last of the biggest and best-known springs in the town. Although they were meeting there, they were soon saying goodbye again as they went to their respective bathing rooms.

Edith stored her clothes in a wicker basket and took her handtowel into the wash room. There was a long line of showers and stools along the walls, each with a small mirror and soap. After washing, she wrapped her long hair in the towel and entered the bath room. This spring was different from the others, in that it also had an outside patio that provided a splendid, private view of the mountainside.

In the spirit of adventure, Edith went to the patio and slipped into the hot stone tub that was there. Two women were already relaxing in it, and turned to acknowledge her as she sank into the steaming water.

"Nice, isn't it?" said the older woman. She leaned her head against the side of the tub. "It's almost summer in the mountains, so we won't be coming to the springs."

"Mmm, but I still use my bath at home," said the younger woman. Stray tendrils of flame-red hair poked out of the towel arranged around her head. "But I like the heat: hot weather, hot spring, hot pokemon…"

Edith sat up. "Are you a trainer?"

The girl opened one eye. "I am."

The older woman snorted. "She's _the_ trainer. This here's Flannery, our resident gym leader."

Flannery grinned at Edith's expression. "I take it you're a trainer?"

"I am! I came here to challenge your gym." Edith was suddenly eager to be battling again. All thoughts of relaxation had flown from her mind.

Flannery extended a pruny hand. "I'm looking forward to it. I'll warn you, though, my grandfather was a member of the Elite Four. I've grown up with professional trainers."

"Good. I like a challenge. I'm Edie, by the way." Edith shook the offered hand.

The old woman left soon after, and Flannery and Edith traded pokemon stories. "Were you glad that they assigned you the fire gym?" Edith asked the other girl.

"Yeah, I really was," Flannery replied. "I think I'm a little disappointed that I was placed at the fourth gym, though. I think the first three get a lot more visits than mine does. So many people give up before they get very far. I guess I should just be glad that I'm not the eighth gym."

"How often does your gym get a challenger?"

"About twice a month? I hear Roxanne has multiple challenges a day. She said she's always training a new team because her old one becomes over-leveled for her gym rank."

"Yeah, it's a pain keeping an appropriate team. But isn't it also hard to keep your at-level team in shape when you have so few challengers?"

Flannery glanced at Edith. "You sure know a lot about gym leading. But yes, it is. That's why I take on so many under trainers in my gym. I want to always have someone to practice with."

Edith nodded. "I know a couple gym leaders. They always seem to be talking about the same problems."

"I see. Thanks…thanks for not saying anything about my age. I know that gym leaders are usually older than I am. I get a lot of flack for it. That's why I try so hard to be a tough leader."

Edith snorted. "Well, thanks for not saying anything about _my_ age, either. Trainers are supposed to be teenagers, not near-adults."

"Eh, well, the only ones who make it this far are either incredibly mature or older-than-average. I look forward to battling you." Flannery stood up, nodded politely to Edith, and left.

Sometime later Edith met Brendan in the lobby and they went to eat dinner. Brendan produced a sloppily-wrapped package. "This is for you."

She opened it to reveal some very strange-looking goggles. The lenses were bulbous and smoky, and the headband was meant to be worn across the ears. "Um. Thanks! What are they?"

Brendan sighed in mock-defeat. "These are the Go-Goggles that I told you about. They are basically essential if you want to spend any time in the desert on Route 111. There are lots of pokemon that are only found in that desert, so if you're looking to fill out you Pokedex, you should definitely check it out. Plus, maybe you'll be the lucky explorer that finds the Mirage Tower!"

She nodded and put them into her bag. "That will be useful! I'll definitely stop there after I beat Flannery. To be honest, although I've had a great time here, I think I'm ready to get back on my journey."

"I am too." Brendan looked nervous. "I hope you don't mind, but I think I will be leaving tomorrow to continue on to Petalburg to challenge your father. I…I don't want you to be there if he beats me."

Edith laughed out loud. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," she hastily said when his face fell. "It's just that, I was hoping you would leave so that you wouldn't be here to see if Flannery beats _me_!"

ooooo

The next morning, Edith saw Brendan off and headed to the gym to put her name down on the challenger list. The gym was a long, low building that looked almost exactly like a hot spring, right down to the steam escaping from the vents and the divided curtains over the door. The sign outside read:

LAVARIDGE TOWN POKEMON GYM

LEADER: FLANNERY

"One with a fiery passion that burns!"

Edith nodded appreciatively and thought back to their conversation. "I can see where they get the description.

Inside the gym she was met with a gust of moist air that stuck her hair to her forehead. Sweat trickled down her back. She released Glade. "Okay, Glade, since this is a fire gym, I'm counting on your type advantage to get us through this." He nodded.

The signup sheet was completely clear, so she gave her name to the receptionist who called Flannery to give her time to prep. "Don't worry," she assured Edith. "It will take you so long to get through the sand maze that she will be completely rested by the time you get there."

"Oh. Um, thanks." Edith shared a look with Glade.

They set off down the hallway, and Edith was only half-surprised to see that the ground was, in fact, sand. The extreme humidity in the air made it thick and heavy, and it stuck to her shoes and got into her socks and generally made the whole walk very unpleasant. Glade, on the other hand, seemed to be having a great time.

The first trouble appeared when Edith stepped on something that gave way under her, depositing her and Glade into an ungracious heap below. "Owww. What is this, the basement?" Edith stood up and brushed sand out of her clothes and hair.

"That's correct. And also, my training room!" A junior trainer exploded out of the sand in front of her, making her jump back. He released a Slugma, and they began to battle. When he was handing Edith her winnings, he explained the structure of the gym. "It's two levels of chambers. The floor is sand, and in some places it can bounce you up or drop you down if you don't know what steps to avoid. And of course, the whole place is a steam room."

Edith frowned. "This sounds like a really sweaty gym."

The trainer just laughed and left to heal his pokemon. Edith and Glade continued on, both on the lookout for strange-looking sand that might send them flying. Edith was the first to find it.

'Edie, don't step there…!' Glade said, too late, as his trainer was catapulted into the seemingly solid ceiling. She passed through the sand, getting stuck halfway through. He watched her legs dangle comically and could hear her muffled squeals from upstairs. Soon, her legs also slid through the hole, and he experimentally jumped on the sand to be shot up into the roof. His head broke through the sand easily, and he used his forepaws to drag him the rest of the way up. 'What a gym!'

"You're telling me," Edith muttered, grimacing as she attempted to brush sand from her face and hair.

She had no idea how much time had passed since they had entered the maze of the gym; Edith had begun to sketch a map of the gym and unusual sand after they backtracked the first time. Since then, they had discovered almost all of the connected sand spots and battled every under trainer in the gym. Now, they finally stood before the leader's room, marked by a gold plaque with Flannery's name and picture. Edith pushed open the door, and they stepped inside.

"Welcome!" called Flannery. She stood at the far end of the room surrounded by her fire team. This room, like the rest of the gym, was damp with steam and had a sand floor. Edith shuffled forward.

"Here I am," she said with a grin. Flannery shook her hand.

"I'm glad you came. I've been itching for a good battle for days. Shall we start?"

Edith nodded and gestured to Glade. Flannery sent out her Numel.

"Glade, keep up with Water Gun on her pokemon, okay?"

He barely nodded before sending a powerful stream of water straight into the unsuspecting Numel's face. It went down immediately.

Flannery grunted, recalled her pokemon, and sent out a Camerupt. "Let's see how you do with its evolved form!"

"Again, Glade."

This time, the Camerupt was able to get in a tackle before Glade brought it down. Flannery clapped.

"All right, this is my favorite cutie, Slugma!"

The Slugma didn't even stand a chance of defense against Glade's powerful attack. Edith noticed that Flannery didn't seemed worried at all, and took the opportunity to heal Glade as her opponent sent out her final pokemon.

"Have you seen this pokemon before? It's my secret weapon, the powerhouse known as Torkoal."

The turtle-like pokemon exhaled, and hot jets of steam poured from its nostrils and holes along its shell. Edith nodded for Glade to begin.

"Water Gun!"

"Torkoal, use Overheat."

Glade's attack fizzled into mist as Torkoal powered up. Its stone shell began to glow molten hot, and suddenly the superheated air was blasted at Glade. As her pokemon fell, the heat blew past into Edith's face, sucking the air from her lungs. Both collapsed to the sand.

Flannery started. "Oh, no! Edith!" She ran to the unmoving girl and fanned her face. "Wake up, Edie!"

Edith stirred. "That was…so hot…there wasn't any air," she croaked in confusion.

"I'm so sorry, Edie! Sometimes when you get too close to Torkoal's heat attacks, it can burn up all the oxygen. I should have warned you!" She helped the trainer to her feet.

"I'm all right now," Edith assured her. Her eyes fell on Glade. "No! Glade!" She ran awkwardly through the wet sand, skidding to her knees beside him. "I can't believe I lost…I hope he's okay!" She gently touched his head fin and recalled him.

Flannery shuffled over. Her Torkoal approached hesitantly, looking bashful. "Let's get you to the Pokemon Center."


End file.
